The 18th
by Ken Blackwell
Summary: What if things were different? What if the hero we knew and loved never arrived on Earth? Who would replace him as the hero? The Protector of the Earth? The answer lies in the sum of 18.
1. Violent Delights, Violent Ends Pt 1

"Everyone is necessarily the hero of his own life story." 

--John Barth

The West City.

It is a bustling futuristic metropolis. It is one of the largest cities on an Earth where things like flying cars and motorcycles and capsules no bigger than a fist that can contain anything from vehicles to houses are commonplace. Where anthropomorphic citizens... people that are half animal... working and living amongst human beings is considered normal. And where a single most powerful conglomerate is responsible for this world's technological marvels. It is the equivalence to our Earth's most successful megacorporations, including Microsoft and 3M, all rolled into one.

It is called the Capsule Corporation.

Unbeknownst to the general populace, there also exists artifacts of immense mystical power... seven jewel-like spheres scattered across the globe, and when brought together, can summon the awesome Eternal Dragon Shenlong, who can grant a single wish, no matter how fantastic or even potentially dangerous the implications may be. These artifacts are known only as the Dragon Balls, and those who know of their existence, good and evil alike, have searched far and wide for them.

On this Earth, there also exists a single champion. A being of great power, greater courage, and even greater compassion. Someone who has thwarted the half-cocked schemes of the diminutive Emperor Pilaf and his cronies, Shou and Mai. Someone who single-handed destroyed the Red Ribbon Army, a force dedicated to world domination. Someone who destroyed the Demon King Piccolo, and three years later, defeated his reincarnation in the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai.

But it's not who you think it is.

It's someone better.

**THE 18TH**  
"Violent Delights, Violent Ends Pt. 1"  
By  
Ken Blackwell

  
  
_"-- a beautiful 84 degrees, partly cloudy with very little chance of rain here in the West City!"_ A radio/alarm clock suddenly switched on next to a bed, its sole occupant beginning to stir. _"It's 9:05 in the AM, and you're listening to K-CAP, 107.6 FM! Now let's strike up the music!"_

As a heavy metal tune mixed with electronic instruments began to play, the bed's occupant sat up slowly with a soft, somewhat annoyed sigh. It was a woman, with a kind of beauty that was no less than perfect, with blonde hair that reached down to her shoulder blades, and her eyes, once opened, revealed hauntingly lovely ice blue irises.

"... Damn," she muttered softly, showing no indication of residual sleepiness as she glanced at the clock. "I was really enjoying that dream, too."

With another annoyed sigh she slipped from the bed, showing that she enjoyed sleeping nude; her breasts were proportionate to her physically fit frame, but still nicely sized and shapely, her stomach flat and smooth without an inch of body fat, and her legs as shapely and as pleasing to the eye as the rest of her body; she looked for all the world like an earthbound goddess.

After doing some routine stretching, the woman slipped into the bathroom to take a good long shower. After a good fifteen minutes she emerged, towel wrapped around her chest, just in time for her phone to begin ringing. Walking towards it, she checked the Caller ID, it's LED readout listing the caller as "BULMA BRIEFS." Recognizing the name with a smile she picked the phone up, pressing the "TALK" button. "Morning, Bulma!"

_"Good morning, Teena!"_ the cheery voice of the Capsule Corporation's youthful chief of marketing sounded out. _"Hope I didn't wake you..."_

"You know that's impossible... hold on, I'm going to switch you to speakerphone." Teena tapped the orange button on her phone, then hung up and walked to her vanity, sitting down. "What's up?"

_"Well, I was wondering if you have any plans for today other than your trip to the hospital."_

"Hm..." Teena gave it some thought as she parted her long hair, tying both sides of it into a braid while leaving the mid-portion of her tresses hanging down her neck. "Well, aside from that I'll probably go through the usual routine. Why do you ask?"

_"Well, when you get all that done, maybe stop by over at Kame House?"_

"Roshi's place?" Teena cocked an eyebrow. "Whatever for?"

_"Oh, you'll see..."_ Bulma giggled softly over the phone. _"See you there?"_

"Of course you will..." Teena stood up as she removed her towel, going to her closet which was practically a room by itself full of clothes.

_"Great!" See ya!"_ And with that, Bulma hung up.

After several moments, Teena emerged from her closet, her attire consisting of a black bikini top, a see-thru mesh tank top, white and black short tights, blue jean cut-offs over the tights, brown buckled boots with white belts adorned, black leather gloves, and a black leather jacket with the Capsule Corporation logo on both shoulders plus a large red ribbon-like design on the back, with the numbers "1" and "8" on either side along with the Japanese Kanji for "18" etched top to bottom in the center of the design; Teena looked as if she were on her way to a rave. Looking to a full-length mirror, she smiled to herself, pleased with her appearance as she blew her reflection a kiss.

"God, I'm so hot..." she said with the upmost confidence. Then she turned to the balcony, sliding open the doors and looking out over to the city horizon before her.

"Good morning, world..." Teena said softly. "What do you got for me today?"

And with that, she jumped up, her foot on the railing, and pushed off of it, sailing off the balcony with her arms and legs outstretched. In an almost theatrical cue a flock of doves flew outward, surrounding Teena and seemingly accompanying her in her short flight in the air before gravity would eventually claim her. She merely smirked as the doves passed her, and she closed her eyes, asserting her willpower.

_Blast off._

And she suddenly rocketed away from the Capsule Corporation building, flying through the air like a missile, but graceful in her motions like a swan.

_"-- in other news, 48 year old Takashi Mikado was found dead today from a single gunshot wound to the head,"_ the DJ on Teena's still operational radio announced. _"While reports are sketchy, reports are saying that the kindly farmer from Pepper Town may have committed suicide..."_

---

Gunshots rang out at the West City 1st National Bank... three robbers were making their escape, firing at pursuing officers as they dove into their escape van. As the police gave chase in their own vehicles the criminals quickly made their getaway.

"We did it! Hot damn, we did it!!" the first robber said as he pulled off his ski mask, revealing his tattooed bald head.

The second robber, revealed as a humanoid crocodile, laughed triumphantly. "3 million 5 thousand zenie!! We're rich, man! Rich!!"

The third robber, a muscular man with a flat top, looked to the escape van's wheelman, an overweight man with glasses. "Police still on our tail, dude?!"

"Yeah!!" the wheelman answered as he glanced at the approaching police cars, their sirens blaring and their red and blue lights flashing. "Can someone get them the hell off of me over here?!"

"You got it!!" The croc kicked open the van's back doors, pulling out his submachine gun and blanketing the incoming cop cars with bullets, and laughed as two of them ended up crashing into each other, blocking the others' advancement. "Ha ha ha!! What a bunch of morons--"

"HOLY CRAP!!" the wheelman suddenly swerved and skidded to a halt, nearly tipping the van over.

"Oof!!" The croc hit the van floor, then turned to the wheelman with an annoyed gaze. "What the hell?! You trying to kill me?!"

"Yeah, what gives?!" the tattooed man asked. "Why'd you--" He then paused, seeing who was standing in the middle of the road in front of them. "Aw, hell... it's her...!" The four robbers all crowded the cab to peer out of the windshield, and saw the human roadblock in Teena; she just cocked her head, her arms crossed as she waited.

"I didn't sign up for this to face someone like Eighteen, man!" the wheelman whined. "I'm givin' up right now!"

"Screw that noise, man! That robo-bitch don't look so tough!" the muscle-bound robber got out of the van and trudged up towards Teena. "I'm gonna bust you up and then I'm gonna have my way with your cute ass!!"

"... Gee. You sure know how to charm a girl." Teena's words dripped with sarcasm.

The muscle-bound robber drew back his fist and punched Teena square in the face, but she showed no signs of impact, her head not even jerking back from the punch. "Uh...?" the robber blinked in surprise.

"You idiot! Get out of the way, I'll kill her!!" The croc aimed his submachine gun at Teena, and this muscle-bound cohort dove out of the way. As he began to open fire on her, Teena turned her head towards him with a smirk. Her arm suddenly became a blur in front of her, effortlessly plucking the incoming bullets from the air as the croc emptied his clip at her. Teena shook her head, dropping the bullets to the asphalt and leaving the criminal quartet dumbfounded.

"I'm givin' up!!" the wheelman repeated, unhooking his seat belt and opening the driver's side door. "You saw all that!! We can't kill her!!"

"You damn coward!" the tattooed robber pushed the wheelman out of the van. "I'm gonna run her over!!"

The muscular criminal charged at Teena, going to tackle her head-first, but she remained immovable as all the man succeeded in doing was knock himself unconscious. "Typical. Moron," Teena said with a disappointed sigh, then turned to the sound of the getaway van revving its engine. "Oh please, they're not _THIS_ stupid..."

"You're nuts, man!!" the croc jumped out of the van as his cohort gunned the engine as loud as it could possibly go, his foot still on the brake, and he grinned as he imagined this foolish girl's blood splattering all over the van's grill and windshield as it would strike her dead-on-impact.

"YOU'RE DEAD, BITCH!!!" he screamed as he released the brake and headed straight at Teena, who merely shook her head, more disappointed than ever.

"They _ARE_ this stupid." Teena quickly grabbed the knocked-out robber and tossed him to safety, then took a step backwards before jumping straight at the van at the last second with a shoulder block. What happened next was nothing short of astonishing, as the van literally crumpled against Teena's body, as if the van had hit a solid steel wall instead of a woman. The tattooed robber went flying through the windshield as the van collided with Teena, and with unmatched speed, she leapt back, grabbing him out of the air and holding him several inches off the ground by the collar of his shirt.

"You didn't even fasten your seat belt..." Teena said to the barely conscious robber. "What an idiot."

Very shortly afterwards the police and the EMTs arrived on the scene, arresting the two robbers who had enough sense to surrender, and treating the injuries of the two who didn't, respectively. "That was fine work out there," the police chief, an anthropomorphic wolf, said to Teena as he shook her hand. "Though sometimes I wonder if the police force's even needed with you around..."

"Oh, you people do a fine job of upholding the peace..." Teena said with a warm smile. "Just think of me as just another concerned citizen wanting to make a difference, is all."

"Yeah yeah... a citizen who can fly and shoot energy blasts from her hands..." the police chief retorted with a sigh, then a shrug. "Whatever... I'm just relieved you're on our side..."

"I agree with you wholeheartedly, Chief Lupisen..." Teena said as she hopped up into the air, floating inches above the ground. "I gotta get going now, got a prior engagement... tell Loopy I said hi, will you?"

"Yes, yes... I will..." Lupisen remembered his daughter was one of the many fans of Eighteen, and waved dismissively as she flew off into the sky.

"Sir, the tow truck's here to cart away what's left of the getaway vehicle..." a police officer said as he approached Lupisen, who nodded in confirmation.

"You know... I give her a hard time sometimes, but the truth is... we wouldn't be here if it weren't for her."

"Yes, sir..." the officer nodded.

"None of us could even hope to take on threats like King Piccolo and his reincarnation, but she did it... and she beat them! Yes, indeed..." Lupisen nodded sagely. "God bless that girl."

---

Tomoko Kawai was only six years old. And she was dying.

Last year she was diagnosed with a rare blood disease that scientists had yet to find a cure for. And from what doctors have said, Tomoko had a year left to live.

Knowing her time was short, Tomoko had made a request to the Wish Makers Foundation; she wanted to meet her hero. Someone who had donated all proceeds from all her merchandise... action figures, clothing apparel, and magazines... towards charities dedicated in making life better for the less fortunate like her.

She wanted to meet Eighteen, the Earth's greatest heroine. The cybernetic champion who risked her life time and again to protect the world, who earned the Blue Star Medal, the highest honor the King could ever bestow upon anyone.

And today, she would see her request come true... she would meet Eighteen.

"I'm so excited...!" Tomoko said, as her parents gathered around her at bedside in her hospital room. "She's coming... she's really coming..."

"Yes she is," her mother confirmed, smiling at Tomoko as she held her daughter's hand.

"I'm so happy for you, sweetheart.." Tomoko's father said, smiling a little at her also.

"Tomoko?" a nurse walked in, a smile on her face. "Tomoko, you have a visitor..."

"Mmm?" Tomoko sat up, her smile wide as she saw Teena enter the room with a Capsule Corp duffle bag in hand. Flanking her was a news crew there to capture the newsworthy moment for the 10 o'clock news, their video cameras already recording. "Teena, you came!"

"Of course I did," Teena said with a smile, then went to shake both of Tomoko's parents' hands. "Mr. Kawai, Mrs. Kawai... nice to meet you."

"It's wonderful that you can find the time in your obviously busy schedule to see our daughter," Tomoko's father said.

"Oh, it's okay..." Teena answered. "I always find time to see my fans, especially brave little angels like Tomoko." Teena looked to Tomoko, holding her hand out to the ailing child. "Hey there."

"Hi!" Tomoko took Teena's hand, squeezing it. "Wow...!"

"I should be saying the same thing about you..." Teena smiled kindly at Tomoko, then set the duffle bag down in front of her. "Everything in this duffle bag, including the bag itself, is yours, Tomoko."

"Really?!" Tomoko giggled, and opened up the bag. Her eyes lit up with joy as she saw inside a child-sized replica of Teena's black leather jacket, a limited edition 12-inch Teena figure dressed in the blue denim vest/mini-skirt/black shirt with white sleeves attire she wore when she fought Piccolo in the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai (a rare collector's item), an autographed picture of Teena herself, and a single note addressed to Tomoko.

"What's this?" Tomoko asked, pulling out the letter.

"Go ahead. Read it." Teena smiled.

Tomoko blinked, then went ahead and opened the note.

_Tomoko...  


This is one free ticket to fly.  
Do you accept?  


_

Love, Teena

Tomoko blinked twice, then looked up at Teena. "Fly...?!"

"My own special gift, from me to you..." Teena replied. "I enjoy flying... it's the greatest freedom I or anyone else could ever enjoy, to fly in the air without a plane or any other vehicle. And I want you to experience it."

"R-REALLY?!" the look of surprise and utter happiness in Tomoko's face was clearly evident. "Mommy! Daddy!! Can I fly with Teena?! Huh? Can I?!"

"Well, I don't see why not..." Tomoko's father said. "Eighteen's saved the world lots of times, protecting our little angel shouldn't be a problem for her."

"As long as you dress properly..." Tomoko's mother added. "You listen to Teena, she knows all there is to know about flying, all right?"

"Tomoko nodded. "Okay!"

And so Tomoko, after putting on warm clothes and her new "18" insignia jacket, rode piggy-back on Teena, hanging on around her hero's neck as she experienced the ride of her young life. At a distance was a news chopper recording the joyous occasion on-camera.

"Wwwwwhhhheeeeeeee!! Oh WOW! This is so cool!!" squealed Tomoko, her joy bringing happiness to Teena's heart.

"Isn't it though?" she said, then pointed over to her left. "Look over there! A gaggle of geese! Wanna fly with them?"

"Do I?!" Tomoko giggled. "Yeah!!"

"Okay! Hang on tight!" And Tomoko did just that as Teena swerved to her left, flying next to the gathering of ivory-feathered birds honking as they flew in their migratory path.

"Oooh!! They're so pretty!!" exclaimed Tomoko.

"I love flying with all kinds of birds," Teena explained. "It's being a part of nature... it makes me feel relaxed, relieves a lot of stress."

"... Teena...?"

"Yes, Tomoko?"

"Why do I have to die?"

"..." Teena paused, letting the geese continue on their way, then picked Tomoko up from her shoulders and hugged her tightly to her chest.

"I'm sorry..." Tomoko said as she hugged Teena back, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. "You-you've been so nice to me, Teena... b-but... I'm scared, Teena. I'm only six... why do I gotta die, Teena? I-it's n-not fair..."

"I know it isn't..." Teena whispered, tears beginning to fall from her eyes as well as she caressed Tomoko's hair. "You... and everyone else... you deserve to live a rich and full life. You..." Teena blinked, suddenly realizing a solution. "... Tomoko?"

"Hmm?" Tomoko sniffled, looking up at Teena.

"Tomoko... I'm going to make you a promise. I... I'm going to find a a way to make sure you and others infected with this disease will be cured from it."

"Tomoko blinked. "Y... y-you will?! How...?"

"I have my ways... and it's not gonna be an empty promise, either. I give you my word... you _WILL_ live to see your seventh birthday, and many more birthdays after that one."

"..." Tomoko blinked thrice, then sniffled, her tears flowing anew as she grinned happily, hugging Teena tightly. "Oh, thank you!! Thank you, Teena! Thank you!!"

Teena hugged back, smiling softly as her own tears continued to fall. "Don't tell your mom and dad, though... let this be our little secret, okay?"

Tomoko nodded cutely. "Okay!"

Teena kissed Tomoko's forehead preciously, then hugged her, feeling the child's heart beat under her chest and committing the sensation to memory. That memory of sensation would be a sufficient motivation for Teena to collect the Dragon Balls, the only items that could make such an impossible promise unbreakable.

"I love you, Teena..." Tomoko said softly.

"And I love you too, Tomoko..." Teena replied, an equally soft tone to her voice.

---

After saying goodbye to Tomoko, Teena headed on her way to Kame House, the home of the lecherous Master Roshi, and where old friends Yamcha, Tein, and Chiaotzu, not to mention Roshi's first pupil Krillin, trained and studied under the venerable martial arts master. And apparently Bulma was there, too. Maybe visiting with Yamcha, Teena believed.

Teena smirked as she flew across the ocean, joining a school of dolphins swimming along, jumping out of the water occasionally. She remembered how she too vyed for the handsome Yamcha's affections, competing with Bulma in a friendly rivalry for him. In the end though, Teena stepped down and let her closest friend win Yamcha, feeling the two were meant to be. Though lately Bulma and Yamcha's relationship seemed to be on shaky ground, Teena still held out the hope that they'd work it out.

Teena had arrived at Kame House, quickly spotting a familiar eleven year old girl with long black hair and sparkling blue eyes, dressed in blue jeans, sneakers, a black leotard, and white belly shirt with her name in pink on the front.

"Videl!" Teena called out with a cheerful smile.

"Teena, hello!!" Videl waved as Teena landed to the sandy ground below.

"Hey... your dad know you're here?" Teena asked as she hugged Videl.

"Course not!" Videl answered. "I snuck out after training then I flew over here!"

"Flew?" Teena blinked. "You mean..."

"Yep! I finally nailed it! Watch!" Videl planted both feet together, then took a jump in the air. Much to Teena's pleasant surprised, she stayed there, then began to fly circles around her. "I can fly, Teena!! I did it! I'm flying!!"

"Yes! I know you could do it!" Teena snatched Videl from the air and hugged her. "See? All you had to do was practice!"

"Hee hee, yeah..." Videl giggled as she hugged Teena back. "I would've never learned how if it weren't for you! Now, if only I could throw long-ranged ki attacks, too..."

"You will, in time..." Teena set Videl down on her feet. "Hey Videl... you know where Bulma is?"

"Yeah..." Videl answered with a somewhat devilish giggle. "She's in the house! C'mon!"

Teena cocked her head, curious about the way Videl had answered her query, but nonetheless followed her into Kame House. She then immediately noticed how dark it was on the inside, with the blinds pulled and the lights turned off.

"Odd..." Teena shrugged, then went over to switch the overhead light on.

"SUPRIIISSEEE!!!!" Teena gasped, and turned to see all those she knew as her friends gathered around her, throwing her a surprise party; Bulma, Chi-Chi, Launch (the blue-tressed docile personality), Ran Fuan, Videl, Yamcha, Puar, Oolong, Tein, Chiaotzu, Master Roshi, Turtle, and Krillin were all in attendance. "HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, TEENA!!!!"

"Happy anniv--" Teena blinked, then her eyes widened. Oh... oh! It's... I-I didn't realize what today was!"

Bulma smiled. "Yep! Today marks the seven year anniversary of the day I found you and released you from your stasis pod!"

"Yeah... it's the closest thing to being a birthday for you, after all..." Tein added. "We should celebrate it, especially when it's all about you!"

"Hey, that means..." Ran Fuan giggled softly at the idea. "... Teena's seven years old!"

"Well, certainly the most developed seven year old this old man's ever seen...!" Master Roshi remarked.

"Guess that makes you a pedophile, then..." Teena retorted; her dry sarcastic wit causing everyone to break out into laughter.

"Get the cake!!" Videl cheerfully demanded.

"Hey, yeah!" Krillin seconded the motion. "Cake sounds great right about now!"

"I'll get it!" Launch volunteered, as she turned around and headed to the kitchen.

"You know..." Chi-Chi said. "A lot of us should be grateful that Teena's here... if it weren't for her, we wouldn't be here right now. Without her, my father's kingdom would've been burned to the ground. and I wouldn't even be alive either, no thanks to King Piccolo..."

"Yeah..." Ran Fuan nodded. "His henchman was gonna eat me... but Teena saved me and destroyed him. If Teena wasn't around..." she shivered softly. "... I don't even wanna think about it..."

"She also helped my father rescue me from those kidnappers last year, too!" Videl added. "I just wish they got along more... dad thinks everything she does is some kind of trick..." she sweatdropped.

"Well, I think it's easier to say this..." Bulma turned to Teena and smiled. "... thank you."

"Just doing the right thing, is all..." Teena replied, smiling back at Teena. "And you showed me what the right thing was, Bulma. You taught me... you have to have great responsibility in order to use great power." She looked up to all her friends. "I've never forgotten that."

Yamcha nodded. "And we're all grateful for that, Teena."

"Cake time!" Launch emerged from the kitchen, carting out with her a double-layered chocolate iced cake with seven birthday candles lit up upon its surface. "Double chocolate fudge, Teena! Your favorite!"

"Oh, wow...!" Teena shook her head with a smile. "Thanks, guys... you're all true friends."

"Go on! Make a wish!" Puar urged.

"That reminds me..." Teena looked to Bulma. "How many Dragon Balls have we found so far?"

"Three, I think..." Bulma answered. "Let me guess... that little girl you visited today?"

Teena nodded. "She deserves a chance to live a rich full life. Everyone infected with this disease does."

"That's our Teena..." Ran Fuan smiled. "Always thinking of others."

Teena smiled, then leaned down towards the cake, about to blow out the candles. Then stopped herself, looking upward. "You feel that?"

"Hm?" Bulma blinked. "Feel what?"

"... I feel it too..." Chi-Chi blinked.

"Some kind of awesome power's coming this way!" Ran Fuan confirmed.

"Is it Piccolo?!" Tein asked.

"It... doesn't feel like him..." Chiaotzu said softly.

"It's not..." Teena stated. "... it feels worse. And it's here!" Teena quickly headed out the door.

"C'mon!" Chi-Chi quickly followed Teena, as did the others, finding her face to face with a man with long spikey black hair, clad in strange ceramic-like armor and an out-of-place furry belt around his waist, and equipped with a half-visor scanner that hooked around his left ear.

"As I thought..." the man said as he crossed his arms. "You're the ones with power levels higher than the other Terrans here..." he glanced at Teena, blinking. "... except for you... my scouter can't pick up any kind of power level signature from you. Some sort of automaton?"

"I'm a cyborg..." Teena corrected. "You also have us at a disadvantage. Who are you and what're you doing here?"

"I am Raditz," the man introduced himself. "And simply put, I'm here to clear this planet of all Terran life."

"... he what?!" Bulma blinked in surprise.

"... Right." Teena crossed her arms, cocking her head. "What makes you think I'd let you try, Radish?"

"It's Raditz!" he corrected.

"Whatever..." Teena scoffed. "Fact of the matter is, I'm this world's protector. You wanna commit wholesale genocide, you're gonna have to go through me first."

Raditz glared at Teena, then smirked. "... you appealed to my Saiyan sense of competition, cyborg. All right... I accept your challenge. A fight to the death, then. If I lose, you protect this backwards frontier planet. If you lose, so does the people you've sworn to protect!"

"Fair enough... and I happen to know a good place to fight, too..." Teena looked to Bulma and smiled. "Save a slice of cake for me, hm?"

"... Be careful, Teena..." Bulma said softly.

"Yeah, don't let that guy win!" pleaded Videl.

"I won't..." Teena winked, then took to the air. "Follow me!!"

As Teena flew away, Raditz turned to her friends with a confident smirk. Then rocketed away, following Teena.

"Think she has a chance, Master Roshi?" Yamcha asked.

"If not, then she'll make one..." Roshi answered. "She's special, that girl. She'll find a way."

---

"So... this pleasure or business?" Teena asked as she and Raditz flew through the air.

"Hm?" Raditz glanced at Teena. "How do you mean?"

"This whole 'wiping out humanity' thing... you seem like the type who'd get off on it but I sense a kind of duty thing. You work for anyone who might want to see you succeed?"

"Quite observant of you..." Raditz confirmed with a smirk. "I was sent here by Lord Frieza. He has conquered many planets with the aid of myself and many other warriors loyal to his cause. It just so happens he has had sights set on this world for nineteen of your Terran years. And now this world's populace's days are numbered."

"You haven't beaten me yet, Raditz..." Teena looked down towards a chain of islands. "Down here." Teena descended to the ground, spinning around to face Raditz. "One more question..."

"Ugh, enough of these questions!" Raditz exclaimed in an annoyed tone of voice. "Are we going to fight or not?!"

"That's just it. Choosing to fight me and all. You enjoy fighting, don't you?"

"... call it Saiyan pride..." Raditz explained finally. "You're a challenge... I can't detect your power level. I can't tell whether you're stronger than me or not. There's no way I'm going to pass this up."

"Whatever gets you going, I guess..." Teena brushed her hair back, then assumed her fighting stance. "So let's get--" Suddenly, Teena gasped out, getting slugged hard in the gut and uppercutted in the jaw, a sneak attack by Raditz. Teena flew back, but flipped right-side up, charging her energies in her hands and throwing her Power Blitz ki blast at Raditz, who blocked it and flew forward, grabbing Teena by the head and flinging her against the mountain wall.

"Pathetic!" Raditz sneered. "You're nothing but a... what's that Terran euphemism... a paper tiger!! What's the use of having no power level if you're weak to begin with?!"

Raditz was suddenly struck in the face as Teena rocketed from the mountain, sending the Saiyan reeling. "What's the point of having a voice when your jaw's broken?"

Raditz rubbed his jaw, smirking slightly. "... Good. Fight back... it will make your destruction all the more sweeter!"

"Shut up and fight." Teena charged forward, throwing a multitude of punches and kicks at blindingly fast successions, while Raditz did the same in retaliation, blocking most of Teena's attacks as Teena also blocked what Raditz threw at her. Time seemed to slow down around them as the two jockeyed for position at superhuman velocities; a pigeon nearby flew very slowly, its wings flapping, its body moving sluggishly, as if it were captured by a time-lapse camera. Finally, Raditz backhanded Teena away from him and time resumed its normal flow around them, the Saiyan warrior panting softly while Teena wiped a bit of blood from her lip, otherwise showing no sign of fatigue.

"You're tougher than I gave you credit, cyborg..." Raditz said. "But I have a schedule to keep here and I _WILL_ see your broken body today! And then I'll break all of humanity with you!"

"Why don't you give _ME_ a break and shut up?!" Teena retorted.

Raditz glared at Teena, then stopped, his scouter alerting him. Turning his head, he saw flying towards him and Teena a humanoid being dressed in purple with a white cloak and a turban, his skin an emerald hue. Teena also turned around, noticing Raditz's distracted gaze, and blinking as she recognized the arrival. "Oh, crap... Piccolo..."

"You look as if you're displeased to see me, Eighteen..." Piccolo muttered, slowing to float next to Teena.

"Well, I'm not exactly thrilled..." Teena admitted, not letting her guard down for neither Raditz or Piccolo. "You going to gang up on me with this guy, now?"

"Well..." Piccolo smirked, then suddenly threw his Destructive Wave directly at Raditz, taking him by surprise as it struck him in the face, sending him reeling. "Does that answer your question?"

"..." Teena blinked, staring at Piccolo, then at the downed Raditz. "... okay, you're obviously either not Piccolo or another reincarnation. Piccolo the Third, Piccolo Lite? Flute? Recorder? Kazoo?"

"Your sarcasm's as grating as ever..." Piccolo scowled. "I actually showed up to give you a hand, Eighteen."

"Why?" Teena asked.

"Let's just say this one's arrival puts serious kinks in my own plans..." Piccolo glares at Raditz as he stood, recovering from the green-skinned warrior's attacks. "That, plus I want to be the one to destroy you. I don't want anyone else getting that credit."

"Gee, how psychotically sentimental of you..." Teena smirked. "All right... truce then?"

Piccolo smiled smugly. "Truce. For now."

Raditz shook his head of cobwebs, then looked up at both Teena and Piccolo. "Two-on-one, now?" He merely grinned evilly, then laughed out loud. "Fine then!! Bring it on!! I'll stand triumphantly over _BOTH_ your lifeless bodies!!"

"He's certainly full of himself..." remarked Piccolo.

"You think so too?" Teena chuckled. "Stop the press, we actually agree on something."

"Let's finish this!" Both Piccolo and Teena, normally arch enemies, charged down to face the evil alien warrior out to commit genocide on the Earth.

It would remain to be seen who would walk away from this potentially fatal conflict.

-- TO BE CONTINUED.


	2. Violent Delights, Violent Ends Pt 2

"... Be careful, Teena..." Bulma said softly.

"Yeah, don't let that guy win!" pleaded Videl.

"I won't..." Teena winked, then took to the air. "Follow me!!"

As Teena flew away, Raditz turned to her friends with a confident smirk. Then rocketed away, following Teena.

"Think she has a chance, Master Roshi?" Yamcha asked.

"If not, then she'll make one..." Roshi answered. "She's special, that girl. She'll find a way."

There was an awkward period of silence. Moments later, Videl spoke up. "Well? Are we gonna follow them or not?!"

"I don't know if that's a wise choice, Videl..." Chi-Chi said. "That Raditz person's stronger than any of us... if he suddenly decided to attack us instead of Teena..."

"I'm not afraid!" retorted Videl. If we _ALL_ attacked him we could beat him!"

"Hmph, you're just like your father sometimes..." Ran Fuan giggled. "Let's risk it!"

"Why not?" Roshi agreed. "If this Raditz character's strong as we all think, then we're all in for one heck've a fracas! And I, for one, don't intend to miss it!!"

"You're crazy... you're all crazy..." Bulma sighed. "Okay, okay... everyone on board the ship. But if we all end up dead I'm never going to speak to any of you again!"

"Oh, wait a second!" Videl rushed inside Kame House and went towards Teena's unopened presents, particularly one of them, with small air holes marking the box. Videl opened it slightly, peering inside with a smile.

"We'll be back in a bit..." she said. "Teena'll be back too... I just know she'll love you!"

With a giggle Videl closed the box and rushed back outside, and a small, quiet sound emanated from the box, sounding as if it were questioning Videl.

"... mmreeww...?"

**THE 18TH**  
"Violent Delights, Violent Ends Pt. 2"  
By Ken Blackwell

Raditz smirked confidently, flying forward at incredible speed, appearing behind Teena and Piccolo to strike at them with his elbows; while Piccolo was struck Teena managed to block, pushing back as Piccolo also rolled with the attack, the two flying back to regroup.

"Pretty fast..." Teena remarked. "I'm impressed."

"Too fast..." added Piccolo. "He charged at the fore, yet his blows struck behind us!"

"I'll give you credit... your defenses aren't bad..." Raditz criticized. "It'll keep you alive for a few more minutes as I increase the power of my attacks. Oh, yes... one more thing. Should you still hope to win... you should know I have two partners... they are like me. Saiyans... and they are _BOTH_ my superior in strength."

Piccolo blinked in surprise, while Teena's ice blue eyes narrowed. "Don't you ever shut up?" she asked flatly.

"HA HA HA!! Hide your fear all you like, cyborg!!" Raditz gloated. "I can tell neither of you likes the taste of despair! And it will be the last taste you fools will ever know!"

"... I guess that's a 'no.'" Teena sighed in annoyance. "Piccolo, you ready to shut him up ourselves?"

"Have we a choice?" Piccolo stated.

"Not really, just being all rhetorical and stuff--" Teena suddenly rocketed forward, as did Piccolo, as the duo attacked Raditz, the Saiyan blocking and ducking their attacks at lightspeed. Teena and Piccolo swiftly maneuvered around to attack Raditz from behind, but abruptly the alien retaliated before any blows struck home, smacking his two opponents with dual back kicks. Teena and Piccolo rebounded, dashing at Raditz who suddenly charged upward.

"AFTER HIM!!" Teena shouted, flying after Raditz with Piccolo, then blinked as she sensed dual power surges from Raditz. "Oh, sh--!"

Raditz suddenly fired twin energy blasts at the two; Teena was quick to throw up her Barrier attack to deflect the attack, but Piccolo very narrowly avoided the attack, though the blast caught his left arm.

"CRAP! PICCOLO! YOU OKAY--" Suddenly Teena was struck in the back of the head by Raditz, and the cybernetic heroine flew forward beyond all her control, landing face-down in the dirt.

"Heh..." Raditz smirked. "Do you see now, how foolish your struggles are?"

"... ow." Teena placed her hands to the ground, reverse kippuping to her feet; aside from scuffs on her skin and clothes she still showed no signs of weariness. Glancing to Piccolo, she saw his left arm was gone, the stump all but cauterized with only a few droplets of purple ichor oozing from the wound. "Can you keep going, Piccolo?!"

"I'll be fine..." Piccolo managed a pained smile. "But it's quite... an inconvenience... having to fight with one arm..."

"HA!" Raditz taunted. "I'll take your wretched head next!!"

"Eighteen... have you no secret new technique?" Piccolo asked.

"I got something in the works..." Teena answered. "Not exactly tested yet, though..."

"Good..." Piccolo grinned. "Like you, I haven't rested on my laurels, either..."

"Making secret plans?" Raditz shouted, overhearing their whispers. "Well, if that's how you choose to waste the last moments of your lives... enjoy yourselves!!"

"What an arrogant son of a..." Teena sighed, then looked to Piccolo. "Okay, this new technique of yours... can you do it with just one arm?"

"The lack of a limb will be no obstacle..." Piccolo answered. "But I require time to concentrate my power. And so I require you, Eighteen, to keep him occupied alone.

"You sure it's gonna work?"

"Certainty is not the lot of we mere mortals... but what choice do we have...?" Piccolo smirked. "A pity... I devised this technique especially to kill you."

"But it'll help me, instead..." Teena laughed softly. "How ironic..."

"Once this one is felled, your turn will come..." PIccolo smiled at Teena. "Life never fails to amuse, eh?"

"Okay... I'll keep Mr. Bad Hair Day busy with my new technique, and you take him out with yours!" Teena looked to Piccolo. "Sound like a plan?"

Piccolo nodded. "Hold him as long as you can!"

Teena smiled, then charged at Raditz, suddenly shooting up into the air as Raditz took a swing at her. She then crossed her arms against her chest, and threw her arms out side-by-side, palms facing up, as twin spinning saw-like energy discs ignited from her hands.

"W-what is this?!" Raditz exclaimed.

"A little something I watched a certain bald-headed monk friend of mine practice, I just decided to put my own spin on it..." Teena explained. "Say hello to my Razor Discs!!" Teena suddenly threw the two discs forward, aiming them right at Raditz, who narrowly ducked them in time. Teena smirked, and with the force of her will changed the trajectories of the Discs, making them swerve around and come right back at Raditz.

"You... dare!!!" Raditz flew backwards, narrowly dodging them once again as they sliced through a nearby mountain, cleaving it in half, but still they kept coming, swinging around and heading towards Raditz. Gritting his teeth, the Saiyan threw his own ki blasts, just barely dissipating the Razor Discs a split second before they would cut him in twain.

"Not bad for a trial run..." Teena remarked. "I'll know what to improve on next time."

"Fool!! There won't _BE_ a next time!!" Raditz snarled. "TRY THIS!!!" He suddenly threw a wave of energy at Teena, who blocked it, but took the severe brunt of it, faltering to the ground, she quickly recovered, looking up to see Raditz close in for the kill and throwing a punch to her face. But Teena caught his fist, smiling smugly as she stood up.

"How do you do it?" asked Teena.

"Do... do what?!" grimaced Raditz.

"Think. All that hair on your head and there isn't a brain underneath."

Raditz's eyes narrowed, then blinked as his scouter picked up a stronger power level. Turning towards it, he saw Piccolo gathering his needed energy. "Power... 1,330!! And all focused on his fingertips?!!!"

"NOW!!!" Piccolo bellowed. "Meet the Light of Death!!!" With that, Piccolo fired a drill-like ki blast from his fingers aimed directly at Raditz. Teena smirked, blowing Raditz a kiss goodbye as she released his fist and jumped away before the Light of Death could strike home. An explosion ripped through the earth and sky, but as the smoke cleared, Raditz stood still, his right shoulder bleeding, the mountain behind him now with a fresh gaping hole in the middle.

"He... he side-stepped it...!!" Piccolo realized. "But no one... can move so quickly..."

"I could..." Teena answered. "This guy's just as fast as I am..."

"Impressive..." Raditz remarked, grinning arrogantly. "Right through my armor. Quite a blast... imagine if I'd let it hit me... but do you see now, insects? Our play time is over--" Raditz suddenly gasped out, faltering as he suddenly felt weaker, turning around and seeing Teena, gripping his tail hard.

"Ah, so _THAT'S_ what it does..." Teena smirked. "I thought that furry belt you had looked out-of-place for such ugly armor... then I realize it was really a tail!" Teena squeezed it, causing Raditz to drop to the ground. "Piccolo!!" Teena shouted out. "Quick! Do that light thing now!!"

Piccolo smiled darkly, placing his fingers to his temple. "Well done, Eighteen! Hold tight to that tail! I can do this only once more!!"

"P-please..." Raditz whimpered to Teena. "Please... show... mercy..."

"Mercy?" Teena glared down at Raditz. "You were going to show me... Piccolo... this whole world none of that! So why should _I_?"

"You... took me too seriously... I was merely... bluffing... let me go... and I will leave this world..."

"Well, of course you'll leave this world after we kill you..." Teena retorted. "Where you go from there is all up to what you've done in the past."

"Please... E-Eighteen, is it? I know I've done some terrible things... but please... let me live..." Teena stared down at the begging Raditz, facing a moral dilemma as she contemplated his words.

"He's lying!" Piccolo shouted. "Keep a hold on him, Eighteen!!"

"Please, Eighteen!" Raditz whispered. "I swear to you..."

Teena paused for a moment, her eyes closing. And then, she released Raditz's tail.

"EIGHTEEN, NO!!!" cried Piccolo.

Raditz smirked, and suddenly jumped up, elbowing Teena hard in the jaw. But his confident smirk faded into shock as she stood still, the attack not even registering any effect at all. "... i-impossible..."

"Kinda figured you'd be lying through your teeth..." Teena said, her eyes opening. "But I did give you a chance. And you blew it, Radish Boy. And now my bionanos have allowed me to adapt to your power level." It was now her turn to smirk confidently. "You are _SO_ screwed."

"... Unbelievable..." Piccolo remarked.

"NO!!" Raditz screamed, throwing punch after kick at Teena, and every time Teena ignored the attacks as if the attacker had all the strength of a small child. "This cannot be!! I will not be defeated by a mere wind-up toy!!!" Teena suddenly dodged one punch from Raditz, seizing him in a full nelson. "AGH! No!! Release me!!"

"Piccolo!! Do it!!" Teena shouted.

"I am building to it!! But I need time!!" Piccolo answered.

"Hurry up, already!!" Teena warned. "He's... still strong over here!!"

"Release me!! Raditz screamed. "You'll die too if he kills me!!"

"If that's what's gonna happen... then it'll be worth it..." Teena retorted.

"Wh-what did you say?!" Raditz blinked. "You're insane!!"

"Heh... I won't hesitate, Eighteen..." Piccolo said. "To kill you along with him is only a bonus for me!"

"Let me go!!" pleaded Raditz. "I'll leave here forever! I mean it this time!"

"You had your chance..." Teena retaliated. "I'm a lot of things... but I know I wasn't born yesterday."

"So sorry to keep you waiting... Piccolo muttered, the energy all built up in his two outstretch fingers. "Prepare yourself..."

"DO IT!!!" Teena screamed, shutting her eyes tight.

_"LIGHT OF DEATH!!!"_ Piccolo once again projected his drill-like ki blast. With Teena holding him fast Raditz had no chance to dodge it this time, as the attack punched through his chest. Teena could feel the white heat of Piccolo's Light of Death under Raditz's back, realizing she only had a split second--

--too late, as the ki blast exited Raditz and ripped through Teena as well, entering just under her breasts and exiting between her shoulder blades. It wasn't so much painful as it was numbing, the blast cauterizing the gaping hole it made through her torso. She immediately felt the weakness overcome her, knowing the blast had struck her heart, her power core, at an angle.

"TEENA!!!" she heard Bulma's voice, hearing her and her circle of friends... Chi-Chi, Launch, Ran Fuan, and Videl, rush to her side. "Oh, God... Teena... no..."

"... Bulma..." Teena gasped softly, smiling weakly. "Sorry... guess I... should've zigged instead of zagged..."

"Hold still, I have my tools!" Bulma said. "We'll get you on life support and then I'll--"

"... too late..." Teena whispered. "... damage... too severe..."

"D-don't talk like that!!" Videl shouted, tears streaming down her cheeks. "... please..."

"... i love you... all of you..." Teena sighed, exhaling her last breath... then went limp, expiring from the world she had swore to protect.

"..." Bulma stared, dumbfounded at Teena's lifeless body, then slumped to her knees. She looked to her friends... Chi-Chi had covered her face with her hands, crying as her body shook with anguished emotion... Launch, her blonde-haired personality, managed to hold back her tears as she lowered her head solemnly, holding back a hysterical Videl, who screamed for Teena to wake up, to open her eyes... and Ran Fuan, who was also in tears, managing to show great maturity by taking the weeping Videl from Launch and hugging her tight, letting the child cry on her shoulder. Bulma looked back down at Teena, and as her tears finally began to well up, she picked up her closest friend in her arms, hugging her tightly as she rocked to and fro, brushing Teena's hair from her face.

"... goodbye, Teena..." Bulma whispered. "... and thank you..."

---

_"... the funeral for Earth's greatest heroine, Eighteen, was held earlier today..."_ a newscaster announced as footage of the sad occasion was shown; it was an open casket affair, with Teena clad in a recreation of her original Red Ribbon attire, her arms crossed over her stomach. _"Drawing thousands of bereft mourners, including friends, allies, and political leaders, the King himself had honored Eighteen, and had declared the day she was awakened by Capsule Corporation's Chief of Marketing, Bulma Briefs, as a global holiday of remembrance."_

_"Teena was like... well, she was a hero to us... to the whole world..."_ Bulma said in front of the camera. _"I think... she'd appreciate this show of support from the people she had devoted her life to protect... she always did enjoy the attention... well, in the biography I helped write I called Teena a digital angel. Now she's a real one... and I know the world will never forget her, for everything she's done."_

The scene switched to a city park, where thousands of people were gathered, each one with a lit candle in hand. _"We're seeing a live picture at Toriyama Park in West City, where an impromptu candlelight vigil is being held in honor of Eighteen..."_ the newscaster stated in a voiceover. _"Thousands of citizens have come here to pay respects, moved by the loss of a true champion of the people. Let us join them now, in a moment of silence."_

"This is so screwed up..." Ran Fuan switched the TV off as she looked to her friends. "There's gotta be something we can do here!"

"We could bring her back with the Dragon Balls! We--" Videl paused, seeing Bulma shake her head. "W-why not?!"

"She'd do the same with us!" Launch said. "Bulma, c'mon! Why can't we try?!"

"It was in her will..." Bulma explained. "She knew there'd come a time when something would happen... where she'd end up dead someday. So she had it written in her last will and testament that she would not be brought back with the Dragon Balls. Because she's a celebrity... a high-profile figure. If we used the Dragon Balls there would be too much exposure on the situation. The existence of the Dragon Balls would be revealed publicly and everyone would want to find them. It'd cause a worldwide furor, the wrong kind of people would discover them... there's a lot of reasons, too many... why we can't use them to bring Teena back. And she knew it."

"... but... that's not fair..." Videl whimpered.

"We can still use the Dragon Balls.." Chi-Chi said. "Remember... Teena was going to use them to cure that girl and others like her. So we should respect that promise she made..."

"... but... I wanted _HER_ to make the wish..."

The girls all turned to see little Tomoko sit in a chair, her body trembling, tears streaming down her anguish-ridden face. "Sh... she promised me... why did she have to die?! Why didn't she avoid that attack--"

--just in time, Teena snapped out of her train of thought, and in half of the split second she needed, bent backwards, Piccolo's Light of Death barely missing Teena's chest as she bridged backward, watching as the attack sent Raditz sailing backwards, hitting the ground several feet behind her.

"... she dodged..." Piccolo blinked, then smirked, staring at the prone Raditz. "At least he didn't."

"... h-how ridiculous..." Raditz sputtered. "... that the greatness of Raditz... should end in the dust... of this stupid... little world..." Raditz managed to laugh weakly. "... I give you credit though... defeating me like you did..."

"Whew..." Teena fell to her back, then quickly bounced back up to her feet in a kippup. "Close one, Piccolo... little too close. If I had chest hair it'd be singed."

"Looks as if we won't need to bring you back to life then..." Piccolo remarked jokingly.

"... what...?" Raditz gasped. "I... don't understand..."

"The seven Dragon Balls..." Piccolo explained. "They can grant any wish. They can even bring the dead back to life."

"... I see..." Raditz coughed. "... I'm glad you told me... because I've just... transmitted the information to my two partners in the depths of space."

"..." Piccolo paused, realizing his error.

"... to sweep this plant clean of all its... human vermin... including you..." Raditz continued. "And then... no doubt... they'll bring me back to life..."

"Smooth, Piccolo..." Teena sighed, walking over to the dying Raditz. "Okay, so when are the other two Stooges gonna show up, Shemp?"

"In your terms... one year..." answered Raditz.

"... in one year..." Piccolo reflected. "... two warriors... even stronger..."

"And how do you like your odds... eh?" Raditz taunted. "I hope you... enjoy your last year... transient joys... are the sweetest... just ask... your fellow insects..."

With an enraged roar Piccolo delivered the final blow, killing Raditz where he lay. "... still laughing?" he muttered. "Indeed... I thought not..." he then paused, seeing that Teena had snatched Raditz's scouter from his head nanoseconds before the blow struck. "Eighteen..."

"He said it was a transmitter..." Teena said, hooking it up to her left ear. "I think it's time we got to know our coming guests..."

"Not a bad strategy..." remarked Piccolo.

Teena smiled at Piccolo, then tapped the base of the scouter. "Hello... testing, one two, one two... can you hear me now? Good!" she glanced at Piccolo. "Always wanted to say that," she noted, sticking her tongue out at him.

_"... this is the cyborg who killed Raditz?"_ a raspy voice sounded out in Teena's ear.

"The name's Eighteen... who am I talking to?"

_"I am Vegeta, prince of the Saiyans... my partner's name is Nappa... and I must say these 'Dragon Balls' sound intriguing to me..."_

"They should... so you gonna bring your dead buddy back to life with them?"

_"Get real. Raditz was killed by power levels barely over a thousand. We're better off without him."_

"Yeah, I gotta agree with you there, Veggie. He was a wiseass... so why come to Earth at all?"

_"... Veggie..."_ Teena smirked as she could hear the annoyed tone to Vegeta's voice. _"How about immortality? No death! No age! Only an eternity of combat!!"_

"Whatever floats your boat..." Teena answered. "You wanna pop on by in a year? Go ahead. Knock yourselves out. Word of warning, though... you cause any trouble on my world, it's your asses."

_"Is that a challenge, puppet?"_

"If you want it to be."

_"Then I leave you with _THIS_ warning. Prepare yourself. Because in one year, I will enjoy sending you to Hell!!"_ And with that, the feed between Teena and Vegeta was severed.

"What did he say?" Piccolo asked.

"He's gonna send me somewhere hot," Teena answered. "And I got a wild hunch it's nowhere sunny or tropical..."

"Not exactly making new friends, are we?"

"What can I say? Must be how I carry myself... uh, aren't you going to regenerate any time soon?"

Piccolo glanced a the stump of his left arm. "I was focusing all my power towards my attack. I didn't have time to do anything else." Closing his eyes, Piccolo gritted his fanged teeth, and with a roar, a new arm sprouted from where his old arm was, greenish fluid spurting out. "It looks like you have company, Eighteen..."

Teena blinked, and looked up to see a transport ship flying towards the two. With a smile, Teena took a step back, and flew towards the ship, while Piccolo stayed behind, crossing his arms as he scowled. _It appears my truce with Eighteen is going to last a year longer..._ he thought. _As much as it sickens me, I'll have to bear it... this situation is much bigger than our petty squabbles._

---

"... and that's how it is..." Teena finished her story as she and her friends re-entered the Kame House. "We got a year before Raditz's partners show up, so we'd better get ready for them."

Tein nodded softly. "We'll have to train hard, then... we'll need to do whatever it takes to defeat these two Saiyans."

"We're all going to pitch in on this..." Teena looked to Bulma, tossing her Raditz's scouter. "We'll need to know when and where they'll land so we can best minimize casualties. Bulma, can you get your best astro-engineers to take the technology from that device and put it to use on Capsule Corp's satellites?"

"I'll do what I can..." Bulma answered, looking over the scouter. "It's an alien technology, so it may not be easy..."

Teena smiled. "You're our resident miracle worker. You'll do okay." She turned to the others. "All of you need big time training, so I'm going to head out to Kami's Lookout to see if he and Mr. Popo can give you guys the same training they gave me."

"It'll be an honor to learn under Kami's wisdom..." Chi-Chi remarked.

"Better let the general populace know, too..." Teena surmised. "Everyone's going to have to be ready for the Saiyans when they show up. I'll tell the King personally and he'll let everyone know."

"Good idea..." Ran Fuan nodded. "What about Piccolo, though?"

"He's on our side for now..." Teena answered. "He sees Saiyans as competition muscling in on his territory. He knows he probably can't stop them on his own so he sees us as a necessary evil, so to speak, to team up with to beat the Saiyans. After they're history though, all bets are off."

"Oh!!" Videl jumped up. "I almost forgot! Anniversary presents!! You gotta open them!!"

"I don't know if..." Bulma sighed, then nodded. "Yeah, why not... maybe we should. To help get out minds off of this for now."

"Open this one first!" Videl held up the present with the air holes. "This is from all of us!"

"Really..." Teena sat down, placing the box on her lap as she raised the lid up. And her eyes widened, reaching in to pull from the box a petite kitten, its fur black with white boots and a streak from its nose down to its belly. "OmiGod... it's adorable...!"

"Tama... you know, Dad's cat? She had kittens a week or so ago and Mom suggested that I give one to you..." Bulma shrugged. "One of her better ideas, actually."

"What're you gonna name her?" asked Krillin.

"Don't know yet..." Teena answered, nuzzling the newborn kitten lovingly. "... I'll think of something."

---

_"Good evening, my citizens..."_ the King, an anthropomorphic dog dressed in a business suit, appeared on television screens all over the globe. _"We've endured much as a people... most recently, the threat of the Demon King Piccolo and his reincarnation; if it weren't for the efforts of our champion, Eighteen, the odds are strong that we wouldn't be alive today. We were strong in our resolve then, and in one year we must be stronger than ever. Eighteen has informed me that alien warriors will come to this world in one year's time, and these warriors will bring death and destruction with them._

_"But all hope is not lost..."_ the King continued. _"Eighteen has assured me that preparations are being taken as we speak to protect you, the citizens of Earth, from this incoming threat. Specialized shelters are being constructed in all major cities, made to protect the people of Earth, These Sanctuaries Against Final Eradication, or S.A.F.E. Houses, will be tested by Eighteen herself once completed, so she herself will know just how reliable the S.A.F.E. Houses will be. Orbital satellites will be outfitted with special sensors that will detect the invaders in time, long enough for you to get to the S.A.F.E. Houses safely. Finally, it seems that with the threat being so great, the reincarnation of King Piccolo himself will align himself with Eighteen to combat these invaders. With these two warriors, these champions on our side... the future of our planet, I feel, is still as bright as ever--"_

"Hmph... he never does know how to keep things short," a male voice spoke as a 60-inch HDTV showing the King's public announcement was turned off. He stood with his arms crossed, a similar height to Teena, with black hair that hung down to his neck and the same icy blue eyes as Teena, and was clad in a black shirt, a brown trenchcoat, blue jeans, and a red scarf. Next to him was a seven foot tall man with a red mohawk on his head and equally ice blue eyes, and was clad in a black bodysuit and gold body armor.

"What is the objective in light of this situation?" the giant asked, his voice with a slight metallic tone.

"Sit and wait, brother..." the ebon-haired man answered. "We wait and see who comes out victorious in this war. Then destroy the winner. Until then, we continue training."

"Understood," the giant nodded.

The man smirked at the giant, then pulled out a fashion magazine with Teena herself on the cover, glaring at it. "You better win, dear sister. Because I have many moves prepared to take you down." The magazine suddenly caught fire in his hand, and he gazed down at the flames with a mix of delight and hatred.

And elsewhere, the announcement made by the King was also received by other less-than-savory individuals; in a huge underground fortress where a multitude of robots were hard at work mass-producing large insectoid machines, there hung from cables and wires a faceless android, looking for all the world like an unfinished work in progress.

"Interesting turn of events, isn't it?"

The incomplete android turned to face an old man dressed in a lavish business suit, his hair long and white save for a bald top, his face framed with a bushy moustache. "And here we are, busy building an army of Spiderwasps in preparation for all-out conquest. And now in a year it seems a duo of aliens are going to beat us to it! A shame, isn't it my 1st?"

_[... i can kill them for you...]_ a broken doll-like voice whispered, as a cute ivory-skinned gothette dressed in black leather emerged from the shadows, her hair gleaming and chromium, styled in both a ponytail and a length braid. _[... their plans are nothing compared to yours, father... may i may i eviscerate them...?]_

"Patience, my 19th..." the old man said. "To paraphrase an old saying, 'all good things succumb to those who wait.' If anything, it will provide us with invaluable data on how well the 18th is improving, so we can improve better than she can."

_[... aww... i wanted to have fun...]_ Nineteen pouted, sighing sadly.

"Well, what of Violet? You've had her for a while now... you've become bored with her at last, I take it?"

_[... i think i broke her last night...]_ Nineteen shrugged sheepishly. _[... she's in the infirmary now...]_

"Now we agreed, Nineteen... once Violet bored you, you would give her to the 21st." The old man crossed his arms. "Look at it this way. At least the 21st can put on a bit of a show for you."

_[... yes, that's right...]_ Nineteen smiled softly. _[... i like my baby brother... he inspires me so much... maybe he'll inspire me now...]_

"That's the spirit..." the old man nodded. "So let's take Violet to him, shall we?"

_[... yes, we shall...]_

---

"D... damn you, Gero..." gasped Violet; the woman who was once the Red Ribbon Army's best general was now helpless, strapped to a gurney and in nothing but a hospital gown as she was wheeled down a hallway. "You... kept me to that... that twisted mechanical slut... f-for too long!! She... v-violated me... she paralyzed me--!!"

_[... how was i to know severing your spine would do that...?]_ Nineteen feigned innocence.

"Now now... I apologize for all that, but how can I say no to one of my most favorite creations?" said the old man.. Dr. Klaus Gero... as he and Nineteen brought Violet to a dark room.

"You... promised me you'd... place me in your Android Program...!!" hissed Violet. "You l-lied to me!!"

"My dear, I am many many things, but a liar isn't one of them..." Dr. Gero said as he faced the seething Violet. "I promised you you would be a part of my Android Program. And I never intended to go back on my promise, despite the... delays I'm sure the 19th had caused. So now it's time to make good on that promise, Violet." A pair of eerie, glowing pink eyes suddenly opened up in the darkness behind Gero. "... just not in the way you believed, though."

Violet's eyes widened in aghast fright. "W-what the hell is that?!!"

"A work in progress..." Dr. Gero answered. "The 21st... though because of the unique way he's constructed, he's adopted a special name for himself..."

_[... cell...]_ Nineteen completed in an almost adoring fashion, clasping her hands together in delight.

The strange creature... Cell... extended his tail-like appendage, slipping the tip under the straps binding Violet's hands and feet and snapping them loose. Before she can react, Cell lunged forward and seized her by her shoulders, and upon seeing him clearly, Violet screamed; he resembled something imagined by H.R. Giger himself, a mix of human and insect with dark green chitin, glowing pink eyes, mandibles dripping with ooze-like drool, book lungs under his carapace breathing in and out in a rapid pace. Cell's tail tip suddenly split open to reveal a mouth-like orifice, and Violet's screams were muffled as it enveloped her head and shoulders.

_[... ooooo...!]_ Nineteen cooed happily, watching Cell's tail draw Violet's body into it with morbid excitement. _[... he's eating her! he likes her... yum yum...!]_

"Cell is absorbing her..." Dr. Gero explained. "Her memories and skills, everything that she was, is going to be a part of him."

_[... cell... my inspiration, oh, cell...]_ Nineteen purred, watching on, transfixed to where Violet's body ended and Cell's tail began, shivering as her hips passed through. _[... father, i wish to stay and keep my beautiful cell company...]_

"As you wish..." Dr. Gero nodded, turning to walk away. Nineteen glanced at his departure, then turned to face Cell's tail, watching Violet's thighs get enveloped, until her legs from the knees down were sticking out. Nineteen knelt down, licking Cell's face with her liquid metallic tongue from his mandibles to his crown, reaching up to caress Violet's twitching legs from her calves to her soles, shuddering almost orgasmically as she watched Cell suck up Violet's legs up to her ankles.

_[... how does she taste...?]_ Nineteen asked.

"Delicious..." Cell growled, as Violet's feet slipped past his tail, disappearing within as the tail tip closed. Nineteen giggled, hugging the bulge that was once Violet in Cell's tail, caressing it lovingly.

_[... you're my most favorite little brother...]_ Nineteen praised, watching the bulge vanish within Cell's body._[... i can't wait to see you in action...]_

"Neither can I..." Cell replied, his pink eyes glowing brighter as his mandibles seemed to smile.

-- TO BE CONTINUED.


	3. Number One Fan

_Dear Diary..._

_Sometimes I wonder if we're even significant in the world we live in. Sometimes I wonder if we're even on the same side. And I sometimes wonder about my Emperor's intelligence. Sometimes his sanity._

_Of course, he's always proclaimed he was destined for greatness, ever since we all got together when we were children, Pilaf, Shou, and myself. Back then we were only street urchins stealing to survive off the streets of World City so his boasts were hard to believe at first. Then that fateful day arrived, when a group of armed soldiers caught us. We were all afraid for our lives, but we shouldn't have been. Because they belonged to Pilaf himself; according to a lawyer Pilaf was the heir to a very rich and powerful man, and when that man passed away, Pilaf was awarded his entire fortune and estate. Thankfully he didn't forget his friends, and both Shou and I benefited greatly in Pilaf's newfound wealth._

_But it wasn't enough for Pilaf. He saw his new status as a chance to conquer the world, and he urged Shou and I to prepare; Shou chose to train in ninjitsu while I studied how to use various firearms and other military training... and while I've done very well for a formerly homeless orphan, poor Shou, to this day, hasn't even gotten past genin status. In short, Shou makes a _VERY_ lousy ninja._

_Pilaf... who self-proclaimed himself as Emperor, was... and still is, focused on his goal. While his plans are, at best, grandiose, he does have the resources to take the world. There's just one thing in his way._

_Eighteen._

_She has always been in our way... her power is awesome and her will is strong... and time and again she has stopped us. Even when we discovered the existence of the Dragon Balls she's been there to halt us in making Pilaf's wish for world domination come true. And when she defeated King Piccolo... who we accidentally released to begin with..._

_Well, that's when I began to question my own judgement about her... and Emperor Pilaf._

_It was our fault that we unleashed King Piccolo on the world, something I feel very guilty about. Eighteen saved millions of lives stopping him, while we did nothing but kowtow in front of him for fear of our very lives._

_She's a hero... she's everything I could never be. If only I had a little bit of the courage she had. But I don't. I'm a coward. But_

Mai paused for a moment. She was in bed, clad in her nightgown, as she was writing her latest entry in her diary. Giving her next sentence a bit of thought, she sighed, and continued to write.

_Eighteen isn't. And despite everything we've done, she never really gets angry at us. She treats our past skirmishes like they were games, and if our lives end up being in danger, she saves us. When I think about it... she's saved _MY_ life a few more times than Pilaf or Shou._

_We're nothing more than annoyances to her... to anyone else. The last thing I want to happen is to waste my life following dreams that may never come to pass... or worse, die by the hands of someone who thinks we're too much of a bother to live. Maybe_

Mai looked up, and gazed at the posters... wall scrolls, action figures and dolls... and various other memorabilia dedicated to Teena herself. Everything that had ever been issued Mai had collected. Her eyes focused on a poster of Teena on her ceiling, back when she had shorter hair, clad in a white two-piece bikini and posing on her stomach with her feet in the air. Mai's cheeks felt a soft blush come over them as she completed her entry, writing...

_I should follow my heart for a change._

**THE 18th**  
"Number One Fan"  
By Ken Blackwell

A week had passed since the arrival and defeat of the Saiyan known as Raditz. And while Teena stood atop the highest skyscraper in West City, the freezing high altitude winds didn't bother her, despite her attire... a white "18" insignia tube top, thigh-high tights, gloves, and a Capsule Corp baseball cap worn backwards, black motorcycle boots, a leather mini-skirt, and a blue denim vest with the Capsule Corp logo on the left breast pocket and the "18" insignia on the back.

What bothered Teena was the impending threat of the Saiyan duo Vegeta and Nappa... two warriors much stronger than Raditz, making their way to Earth in a year's time at least. Although the necessary precautions were being prepared to be ready for the Saiyans and to minimize unnecessary casualties, Teena had her doubts.

She then paused, her ice blue eyes opening. "How long were you just waiting there, Piccolo?"

"Long enough to kill you several times over if your guard wasn't ready..." Piccolo answered gruffly as he floated behind Teena, who just smirked at the emerald-hued archdemon.

"Good thing it was ready then, hm?" Teena replied.

"You've a lot on your mind, Eighteen..." Piccolo muttered. "I assume you've spoken to that cursed Kami by now..."

"Yeah, I have..." stated Teena. "He said that he can train the others okay and he's ready to help... but..."

"... But?" Piccolo queried, crossing his arms.

"... but he's got nothing more to teach me," Teena answered, shrugging her shoulders. "I spent three years with him training to fight you, Piccolo. I've surpassed him, big time."

"Hmph. And you actually turned down his offer to be the Guardian of the Earth."

"Damn straight I did. I can't imagine being up there looking over the Earth with nothing to do... no adventures, no games... dear God, no _SHOPPING?!_ I'd be bored to tears!"

Piccolo smirked. "Hmph. So then, what's Kami's plan for you?"

"Well, he wants me to train abroad... as in, go to the afterlife and head over to some guy called the Lord of Worlds... King Kai, I think that's what Kami called him."

"Really..." Piccolo cocked his head. "But you're still alive. How exactly is Kami going to accomplish this task?"

"He said he'd pull some strings to get me there without actually dying... but..."

"There's another 'but?'" Piccolo exclaimed.

"I got a lot of apprehension leaving Earth to do this..." Teena explained. "I made a vow to protect the Earth and its people. Not only from threats like Raditz, Nappa and Vegeta... and well, you, Piccolo... but from themselves, as well. Crime, natural disasters, accidents of the 'Oh, the Humanity' level... you know..."

"Ha... and you honestly think you can stop it all by yourself?"

"I'm not _THAT_ foolish, Piccolo. I just do what I can. It's what all anyone can do, whether they have special powers... I'm a cyborg with infinite power reserves, not God."

"Well... for what it's worth, you're a worthy adversary, Eighteen..." Piccolo admitted. "I've little faith in your friends' skills, but I'm certain that after your training, we'll be able to defeat the Saiyans together."

"Wow... confidence towards me, coming from you..." Teena raised an eyebrow as she smiled jokingly. "Now I _KNOW_ we're doomed."

"Crack jokes all you like until the Saiyans come, Eighteen..." Piccolo advised as he turned around. "You'll have to be at your best against them."

"I always am at my best," Teena replied. "But then, you should know that."

Piccolo hmphed. "I'll see you in one year." And with that, Piccolo flew off into the clouds above. With him gone, Teena let out a sigh.

""He's got all the humor of an unfunny thing. Like a rock or a stump..." Teena took a moment to think. "... or maybe a petrified stump. That's pretty unfunny..." she then paused, feeling a vibration against her left breast as a MIDI of "Head-Cha-La" played. Calmly she pulled from her inside vest pocket her cellphone and pressed the TALK button. "Teena here."

_"Teena!"_ Bulma's voice emanated from Teena's cellphone. _"Great news... we recovered the Seven Star Dragon Ball!"_

"Really? That's great news!" Teena smiled. "That leaves only one more Dragon Ball to go now, doesn't it?"

_"Yep! The One Star Dragon Ball. Once we can find it, we can make your wish, Teena."_

"Great... before I leave I want to at least be there when we give Tomoko a good chance at a long life..." Teena gave pause for a moment, then sighed. "... Bulma...?"

_"Yeah?"_

"How long'll the S.A.F.E. Houses be up and running?"

_"Well, we got our top construction workers and technicians working around the clock for this one, we should have them up and ready in eight... nine months, tops."_

Teena nodded. "Down to the wire, hm? Okay, I'll try to be back in time to test the Houses' durability and make sure they'll work."

_"So... does this mean you'll be leaving, then?"_

Teena hesitated, realizing that it did indeed sound like that. But her apprehension surfaced once more. "I don't know..." she said finally. "I know it'd be the best thing for the Earth if I did train with this King Kai person, it's just... I don't want to leave the Earth unprotected... what if Piccolo decides to wreak havoc while I'm gone? And... sorry, I guess I'm being too much of a worry wort."

_"Well, I may have a solution to that worry, if you're willing to stop by Capsule Corp to see."_

"Of course I'm willing. I'm on my way." Teena folded her cellphone and placed it back in her pocket, and jumped off the building, quickly igniting her energies to rocket across the city towards Capsule Corp.

---

"... so despite your apprehension you're still making the preparations to leave?" Bulma asked Teena, as the two long-time friends walked down the hallways of Capsule Corp.

"I guess my brain knows what my heart is still trying to grasp, God willing..." Teena replied. "I already packed a few extra changes of clothes and I let Videl take care of Neney while I'm away..."

Bulma raised an eyebrow. "Neney?"

"I announced on my on-line fan club that I got a kitten and held a poll to see what I should name her," Teena explained. "And the name 'Neney' won out."

"That's cute, Teena..." Bulma smiled as the reached her lab, entering it. "Well, I said I may have a solution to your worry, and here it is..." she gestured to a gleaming chromium metallic figure, female in appearance, with dredlock-like cords streaming down the back of its neck, adorned with a helm, gauntlets and boots, its face a beautiful humanoid visage with blue opticals, unlit and devoid of life. And of course, the Capsule Corp logo etched into the left side of its breastplate.

"..." Teena blinked, staring at the immobile female figure. "You... made an android...?"

"I wish..." Bulma answered. "I'm pretty smart for a girl, but even I can't replicate the kind of technology Dr. Gero is capable of... whether you like to admit it or not, he knew what he was doing when he designed the biomechanics for you and your brother."

"You're right. I don't like to admit it." Teena sighed, looking over the chromium female in front of her. "So... is this a suit of armor, then?"

"It is!" confirmed Bulma with a bright smile. "Teena, I present to you your replacement for the next year! Built by Bulma Briefs, Super Genius™, this is the Weapon Battlesuit! Version 1.0!"

"Not bad..." Teena crossed her arms with a cocked head and a smirk. "So who's gonna pilot this bad girl?"

Bulma didn't even bat an eye as she answered. "I am!"

"Not good..." Teena corrected herself.

"Why not?" exclaimed Bulma. "Who better than to become Weapon than the woman who designed it? Who understands it more than anyone, hm?"

"You're not a trained fighter like I am, or like Piccolo, if he decides to go Demon King on us again."

"Not a problem... the Weapon Battlesuit's on-board computer has a multitude of martial arts that can be encoded and implemented, taking over the suit's motor functions for offensive and defensive actions, plus it also has a photographic reflex program like you have, allowing it to copy any move it processes effortlessly and flawlessly!"

"... Thank you, Ms. Wizard..." Teena replied. "Now can you put the technojargon down and step away from the car, please? Did you take into consideration how ridiculously dangerous this choice is, Bulma?!"

"Of course I did, Teena!" stated Bulma. "I _DID_ release you from the stasis pod seven years ago, remember? We've been through a lot as friends, and I trusted you with my life because I knew you'd let nothing bad happen to me." Bulma placed her hands on Teena's shoulders, her sky blue eyes meeting Teena's icy blues. "It's your turn to trust me now, Teena. Please?"

"..." Teena sighed deeply in defeat, then nodded softly. "... okay..."

"Good!" Bulma smiled. "We'll hold a press conference tomorrow to let everyone know you'll be leaving for a year, and you'll appoint Weapon, who'll secretly be me, as your replacement until you return to fight the Saiyans!"

"All right..." Teena nodded. "If anyone asks, what'll Weapon's backstory be?"

"Well, I don't want to upstage you, being the beautiful cyber-babe that you are, so we'll say Weapon's a highly trained Capsule Corp official who will remain anonymous, chosen to wear the Battlesuit." Bulma walked over to the armor and detached the faceplated helm from its neck. "But until then, I think it's time for a trial run. While everyone's gearing up to head toward's Kami's Lookout, we can go out and search for the One Star Dragon Ball!"

"Just like old times, hm?" Teena smirked. "Only without Oolong."

"Exactly!" Now then..." Bulma placed the helm down, then slipped her jacket off. "Give me a moment to get ready and I'll be good to go!"

"Okay," Teena nodded, crossing her arms as she waited.

"..." Bulma paused, then cocked her head. "Translation: I'm going to get naked to slip on the bodysuit that'll help me operate the Battlesuit more efficiently, and while we're both women here and I see you naked every time we do a systems checkup every six months I _WOULD_ like my privacy right now."

"... oh... OH!" Teena sweatdropped as she blushed. "Right, right... okay... naked, privacy, gotcha... I'll just, wait outside then."

"Would you? Thank you," Bulma smiled sweetly as she gently pushed Teena out the door, closing it in front of her.

And Teena sighed, leaning against the wall as she waited. "This is gonna be one hell of an interesting day."

---

"It's brilliant! Spectacular!! Unbelievably, pure genius!!!" Pilaf praised himself as he danced about his throne, holding in his hands the One Star Dragon Ball while Mai and Shou watched on, standing at attention.

"Uh... what's so brilliant, sir?" Mai spoke up.

"My plan, of course!" Pilaf answered. "It's occurred to me that I'll never succeed in taking over the world with that robo-wench Eighteen there to foil my plans. So I've decided to devise a plot to.. get rid of her!"

"Huh?" Shou blinked twice.

"... you're not going to... k-kill her, are you sir?" Mai asked, almost in a pleading voice.

"What? No, of course not!" Pilaf balked. "Really Mai, you should know be better than that! Besides, after witnessing her might against King Piccolo and his reincarnation I know that we can't hope to fight her one-on-one... but there is _ONE_ thing I observed that I never saw until now."

"What's that, your emperorship, sir?" asked Shou.

"Her weakness!" Pilaf pulled from his robe a remote control and switched on a video projector, showing footage of Teena's fight with a yellow blob-like creature. "This is footage I obtained, from the Red Ribbon Army's Muscle Tower many years ago!"

"Back when Tee-- er, Eighteen wore her hair short!" Mai reflected.

"Er... well, yes... anyhow, take a look at this fight between her and this monster..." Pilaf waited, and paused the footage right after Teena was electrocuted by the monster's long tongue and before she was pulled into its mouth. "There! See?"

"Oh... oooohhhhh!!" Shou nodded. Then shook his head. "... see what?"

"Did you overdose on stupid pills today, Shou?!" Pilaf spat. "Look!! It's electricity! Electrical shock weakens her!! So all we have to do is lure her here! We'll do it with this Dragon Ball here... then we'll attack Eighteen with industrial strength TASERs that have enough power to stop a blue whale!!! Then we'll imprison her with electro-shock shackles and use the Dragon Balls, once we find them, to make me Emperor of the Earth!!!"

_... that might actually work..._ Mai thought. "But, sir... what about the two aliens that are supposed to show up in a year?"

"They'll be too much in awe of my magnificent rulership that they won't do anything!" Pilaf exclaimed. "You worry too much, Mai! I have everything under control!"

"Er... o-of course, sir..." Mai said. _Is he serious?!_ she added in thought. _If even Teena is concerned about the aliens... I mean, if she and King Piccolo treat us little more than nuisances... what will the aliens think of us?!_ Mai's imagination ran wild...

_"Ha ha ha ha!!" Pilaf bellowed, as he, Shou, and Mai stood before the two alien warriors... who, in Mai's mind, looked like two of those Predator aliens from a movie she saw a long time ago. "I am Pilaf, Emperor of the Earth! Bow down to me as your true leader!!"_

_"Oingo boingo..." the first alien said. _

_"Shonen jump..." the second one replied, swivelling its shoulder-mounted cannon at the trio._

_"No! Pilaf shouted. "Serve me! I command you--"_

_The alien opened fire--_

Mai sighed, coming to the resolution that she should stop watching such movies. _But if Pilaf actually succeeds in this plan..._ Mai wondered. _And if Teena is incapacitated... and when the aliens DO arrive... what will happen to the Earth... and... and us...?_

"Right! It's time to supply the bait!" Pilaf tossed the One Star Dragon Ball to Mai. "Take this, Mai, and place it in the cave nearby the castle, would you? Oh, and to bypass the security that will stop Eighteen for good, shout 'Pilaf Is The King, Baby!!' and it'll all shut off for five minutes! Got it? Linger in there a second longer and the TASERs'll target you! And I don't think I need to say that getting hit by electrical charges designed to knock out a blue whale won't be too healthy for a human, but I already said that, didn't I?" Pilaf sweatdropped. "Anyway... GET TO IT!!!"

"Y-yessir..." Mai and Shou both bowed to Pilaf, and went on their way out of the throne room, with Mai staring at the jewel-like orb in her gloved hand, wondering what to do under such dire circumstances.

_... should I follow my heart...?_

---

"Whooooo-hoooooo!!!!" Bulma, clad in the gleaming Weapon armor, flew barrel rolls around Teena as the two soared through the sky. As she spoke, the suit's voice modulator altered her voice, making it sound metallic and lower-pitched, as the face plate's lips moved in time to Bulma's. "Is this what it feels like to fly? It's awesome!!"

"I know, I never get tired of it..." Teena replied with a smile. "So the battle suit enhances the wearer's natural energy levels a thousand fold, hm?"

"Mmhm! It even comes with its own energy attacks! Like you or Yamcha or Tein! Watch..." Bulma... Weapon for now... came to a stop in the air, and threw her arms back, dredlock-like cords wisping about her armored head. "PHOTON WAVE!!" And she swung her hands together, creating a literal wave of light barrelling down onto a hill, cleaving it in two.

"Not bad... though you know, it takes more than energy attacks with fancy names to come out on top," Teena advised. "It also takes experience... the knowledge and the overall edge to survive and win."

"Come on, Teena..." Weapon sighed. "Are we going to go through this again?"

"Look, I appreciate that you want to sub for me while I'm gone and all... but under no circumstances are you going to fight with us against the Saiyans! I need you as Bulma Briefs, Super Genius. Not as Bulma Briefs, Canned Meat!"

"You're not being fair about this, Teena!"

"I'm being a hell of a lot more fair than the Saiyans if they ever get their hands on you, Bulma! Think about it! If they're stronger than I am and you _KNOW_ how strong I am, can you fantom how agonizing it'll be if they catch you? And then start to squeeze? Yeah, I'm sure the pain'll be pretty bad up until you explode like a watermelon--"

"Ugh, stop!!" Weapon covered her auditory modules, eyes shutting tight. "You don't have to be so graphic about it!"

"Do I?!" Teena sighed deeply, then floated over to hug Weapon. "Look, dummy... you're my best friend... my bestest friend, pardoning the grammar. You were the one who released me... the first real life human I saw in 12 years. It's almost like imprinting, you know? If anything bad happened to you I'd never forgive myself... even _IF_ we used the Dragon Balls to bring you back..." Teena pulled away, hugging herself as she lowered her head. "Hell, I haven't even completely forgiven myself yet for Chi-Chi..."

"... Teena, I..." Weapon paused abruptly, turning her head. "Teena... sorry for changing the subject here, but I just picked up the Dragon Ball!"

Teena blinked. "You got a Dragon Radar built into that helmet?"

"Of course, silly... you're forgetting who you're talking to... this way!" Weapon dove down towards a small mountain, a cave nestled within. And as she flew down, Teena sighed with a shrug, about to dive down with her until she spotted a familiar man-made structure off in the distance.

"Huh, Pilaf's castle..." Teena cocked her head, then quickly followed Weapon, paying it no mind.

"Ha, there you are..." Weapon remarked as she waited for the descending Teena. "What kept you, slowpoke?"

"Nothing," Teena answered. "C'mon, Bulma... let's go find some Dragon Ball-ly goodness."

The two entered the dark forboding cave, the only illumination being the soft cerulean glow of Weapon's optical sensors, which blinked off and on in time to Bulma's own eyes underneath them.

"... what?" Weapon asked, noticing Teena glancing at her.

"Nothing, it's just that... that trick with the optics blinking, that's so cool..." Teena admitted, to which Weapon responded with a chuckle. Teena smiled back, then raised her hand, igniting the air around her palm to create a patch of energy, lighting the cave's interior significantly. "There we go."

"And there it is!" Weapon pointed at the all-too-familiar orange sphere with a single star-like shape within, sitting prominently in the middle of the cave on a four foot pillar. "The One Star Dragon Ball! We found it!"

"Whoa, wait a sec!" Teena placed a hand on Weapon's shoulder, halting her. "Don't you think it's too easy here? We turn a corner and the Dragon Ball's right there?! Where's the rooting for it? The bad guys, the monsters, the peril for us brave souls and what not? Where's the what not?"

"Huh?" Weapon blinked.

"Pilaf's casle is nearby, too..." Teena added. "Wouldn't put it past him to use the Dragon Ball as bait as some hair-brained attempt to do something stupid to me..."

"Well... this _IS_ Pilaf we're talking about, right?" Weapon shrugged. "Whatever he's got planned you can handle, easily... so let's just take it!"

"Well-- wait!!" A glint of a red laser caught Teena's attention as it targeted towards the approaching Weapon, who was reaching for the One Star Dragon Ball. "BULMA, LOOK OUT!!" She quickly acted, pushing Weapon out of the way just as the steel barbs shot out, piercing the skin on Teena's shoulder. And the cave's interior was turned bright, with Teena, screaming and convulsing, in the center of the light, her hair standing on end.

"... Teena..." Weapon's eyes widened, watching her best friend being electrocuted with enough energy to rival even fierce lightning storms. Finally Teena collapsed, spasming uncontrollably, eyes wide open, her body being cooked from the inside out. "OmiGod, it's killing her..."

"P-PILAF IS THE KING, B-BABY!!!" Weapon heard a familiar female voice scream the presumptuous proclamation, and the buzzing noise caused by Teena's electrocution ceased, though Teena herself still twitched, smoke rising from her breathless body.

**T-5:00**

And before Weapon's eyes, Pilaf's female lackey Mai rushed forward, sliding to her knees to check on Teena, who stopped twitching, now completely lifeless. "..." Mai stared down, disbelief in her blue eyes, followed close behind by a torrent of tears. "... we... killed her...?!"

"..." Weapon stared blankly at Mai, words and actions failing her completely.

"We did?!" Pilaf asked in a shocked tone as he and Shou entered the cave, following Mai. "Er... w-why yes! Of course we did!! That was the plan all along! Kill Eighteen so that she'd no longer meddle in my affairs"

"BUT SIR!!!" Mai turned to face Pilaf, tears of anguish streaming down her face. "That w-wasn't what we were g-going to do!!! You said we were going to c-capture her!!!"

"Well yes, but this works out much better in the long run, don't y--" Weapon, also on the verge of tears under her face plate, was about to finally find the urge to act for such an incomprehensible act of murder, but was astonished to see Mai pull her gun, aiming it directly at Pilaf.

"You're making it all up as we go along!!" Mai shrieked, hands shaking as she nevertheless kept the semi-automatic pistol's aim true. "You're too high and mighty to admit you screwed up!! You screwed up when you freed King Piccolo and now you've screwed up again!! You killed Eight-- ... YOU KILLED TEENA!!! You killed her, and you killed us all!! Those aliens are going to kill us without Teena to stop them!! I HATE YOU, PILAF!!! I HATE YOU!!!!!"

**T-4:09**

"... N-now Mai..." Pilaf raised his hands in a "please-don't-kill-me" gesture, slowly approaching her. "Don't you think you're overreacting just a little bit?"

And Mai pulled the trigger, the bullet striking the ground right in front of Pilaf. "SHUT UP!!" she screamed. "You... y-you don't know ANYTHING!! Teena was a role model! Someone I could look up to!! Someone I c-could... l... l-love..." Mai lowered her head, hands dropping to her sides. "... we're all going to die now... because of you... well, the aliens'll have one less human to kill because I'm going to beat them to it!" Mai raised the gun, putting it to her own head.

"MAI?!?" Pilaf blinked. "No, wait!!!"

"I'm through taking orders from you..." Mai said sternly. "Consider this my resignation!"

"MAI, STOP."

**T-3:31**

Mai blinked thrice, and turned to see _TEENA,_ sitting up with her body still smoking slightly, with her hair frazzled from the normally-terminal electrocution.

"... she's... alive...?!!" Pilaf blinked.

"She's a zombie!" exclaimed Shou.

"And you're in dire need of a clue..." Teena told Shou. "Pilaf... you and Shou go. Now."

And they did, running out of the cave for more fear of Teena's miraculous survival than Mai's threat with a gun.

"..." And Mai stared at Teena in a similar kind of disbelief when she believed Teena was dead. "I... thought that-that you d-died..."

Teena shook her head, then tapped her skull. "Special biomechanics. I have a layer of a biopolymer between my brain and skull that automatically strengthens to protect my brain from severe concussions or even electrocution. But my power cell still gets disrupted when I get electrocuted, so I simply shut down until I re-energize."

"Damn, even _I_ didn't know any of that..." Weapon said, shaking her head. "Give me grey hairs, why don't you..."

**T-2:10**

Mai sighed in relief. "I should've known you couldn't be beaten so easily..." Mai then paused, reaching into her trenchcoat and pulling out a watch. "... oh, no..."

"What is it?" asked Teena.

"The TASERs are set on a five minute interval!" Mai explained. "We have to leave... in about one minute and fifty-seven seconds they'll re-activate!"

"Crap..." Weapon quickly grabbed the One Star Dragon Ball from the pillar. "Okay, I got the Dragon Ball, let's go Teena!"

"You and Mai go, Bulma." corrected Teena. "I gotta stop these TASERs. To just leave them here so they can kill any idiot who wanders in here is irresponsible!"

"But they're hidden!" Mai warned.

"Then I'll just un-hide them. GO!"

Weapon nodded, then rushed over to pick up Mai, rocketing out of the cave, leaving Teena alone with the concealed TASERS.

**T-1:37**

Teena waited silently, patiently... her eyes closed within the darkness of the cave. _Mai wised up,_ she reflected. _Atta girl... she seems smart enough to not follow Pilaf forever. Guess it was just a matter of time. Though I wish Pilaf and Shou also wised up. They're just wasting my time. They'd be so much better off as allies._

**T-1:00**

Teena opened her eyes, hearing the familiar sound of machinery powering up. _Okay... how many am I dealing with here... five... six? No, seven. Seven TASERs?! What the hell? Pilaf could power West City with seven TASERs! And he's using them to make me Extra Crispy?!_

Teena cocked her head.

_... Wow. For Pilaf that's a petty damn good plan...!_

**T-0:39**

_I underestimated the little blue twerp... nearly got fried because of it. He must really want me out of the way. Well, I can't make any time with Pilaf now, with Veggie and Nappie showing up and all._

**T-0:10**

_Speaking of time... it's almost up. Gotta do this just right, or it's back to being lit up like a dammit not gonna finish my thought--_

**T-0:00**

Powered up fully, the TASERs targeted Teena, the lasers aiming directly at her chest and back. Teena then acted just as the barbs shot from the shadows, moving so rapidly her own perception of time slowed. Catching the barbs out of the air around her, Teena didn't even waste half a nanosecond as she yanked on the barbs as hard as she could. And all seven TASERs exploded through the rocky cave wall, colliding with each other and shattering in a ball of flame. Satisfied, Teena turned around and shot out of the cave before the explosion could envelop her.

"Unbelievable!!" Mai praised as Teena landed in front of her and Weapon. "You did it! You destroyed them all!"

"Yeah, well..." Teena shrugged. "I'd say 'they don't make them like they used to,' but that's just so clichT."

"Let's go then..." Weapon said. "We got all seven Dragon Balls now, so let's put them to good use."

"I'll catch up, Bulma..." Teena said. "You go on ahead. I'll be talking to Mai."

Weapon nodded, and turned around to fly off, leaving Teena and a blushing Mai alone.

"... uhm..." Mai fumbled for the right words to say, then sighed, lowering her head. "I'm sorry... for being such an annoyance to you for the past seven years. I wish... I wish I had it over to do again because I--"

"I know. I overheard while I was recovering," Teena said. "I'm proud of you, Mai. You followed your heart. You did the right thing. About damn time too, I might add."

"Th... THANK YOU!!" Mai blushed redder, bowing to Teena out of respect and gratitude. "Thank you so much!!"

"Now then..." Teena held her hand out to Mai, smiling softly at her. "Let's take it from the top. "I'm called Eighteen. Teena to my friends. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms...."

"Er..." Mai blinked, then smiled brightly, realizing what Teena was doing. And she promptly seized Teena's hand, shaking it.

"M-my name's Mai!" she introduced herself. "Mai Suimono...!"

---

_We summoned the Eternal Dragon later that day... Bulma, Teena, and myself were all there. There was also a little girl there who looked familiar; when I asked Bulma, she said the girl's name, and that's when it hit me. Six year old Tomoko Kawai, diagnosed with a terminal disease, not expected to live through the year, and with the Dragon Balls gathered up..._

_Well, let's just say I admire Teena even more now than I did to begin with._

Once the Eternal Dragon was summoned, I was amazed to see it and Teena greet each other by name! I asked Bulma, and she told me that during her three year training to prepare for King Piccolo's reincarnation she was granted "special permission," whatever that implied, to gather up the Dragon Balls and summon Shenlong. And her wish then was to simply know the Eternal Dragon better as an individual, not as a tool, like most people would. Her reasoning was that she knew she would be needing Shenlong for special situations and that it would be better in the long run if Teena and the Dragon knew each other as allies.

_And so the wish was made... that Tomoko and everyone like her infected with the disease in question be cured, and that disease be abolished from the Earth. Shenlong remarked how noble the wish was, and he granted it. And before my eyes, I saw little Tomoko's skin regain its color, and she looked like a six-year old should look; healthy. With tears in her eyes, she looked up at Shenlong and said "Thank you, Mr. Dragon!" in the cutest way possible, then leapt into Teena's waiting embrace and hugged and thanked her as well. And it was then I realized for sure, as Shenlong returned to his slumber, the Dragon Balls dispersed to the four winds, and I watched Teena hold Tomoko close, crying her own joyous tears, which side I was on..._

Mai looked up from her diary, sitting in her bed and in her nightgown, in her new room held within the Capsule Corp building. Laying on a maintenance table on the far end of the room was the Weapon Battlesuit, given to her by Bulma because she felt the more battle-savvy Mai was better suited, no pun intended, to utilize it. Her eyes shifted to all the Teena memorabilia she had taken from her, finally gazing at a new item sitting on her dresser; a photo of herself, blushing red but managing a small smile, with Teena standing next to her, an arm around Mai's shoulders. She smiled softly, and she completed her diary entry with...

_... I'm on the _RIGHT_ side._

--TO BE CONTINUED.


	4. Revision

He's been gone only for ten minutes and she already misses him, knowing how long he'll be gone. And if it was hard on Puar, she could only imagine how Bulma would feel.

No, not imagine. She would know.

Puar yawned a deep yawn, standing on a table as she was too tired to float, studying a book on human anatomy, looking through the graphically detailed illustrations of a dissected human female; it was a book she had searched for for years, ever since she met Yamcha. Many months ago, she had discovered the book, and had convinced Bulma to buy it for her. Though Puar wondered if Bulma had known why she wanted it, would she still buy it for her?

Nevertheless, it was Puar's now, and it was perfect, just as she hoped it would be; no real photos of course, since the sight of actual violence made Puar cringe. But the illustrations were so detailed, covering the human anatomy, both male and female, in such a vivid detail... skeletal, muscular, digestive, nervous, lymph, reproductive...

"It won't be long now..." Puar said to herself. "I've studied this book cover to cover. If all goes well..." she sighed, then glanced at the mirror, staring at her own reflection.

"... if all goes well..."

**THE 18TH**  
"Revision"  
By  
Ken Blackwell

  
  
Kami's Lookout never had so many warriors grace its presence before, ready to be trained by the Guardian of Earth himself. The wizened good half to Piccolo looked upon them as they conversed with each other and saying their goodbyes to Teena. Seven great fighters in their own right... Krillin, Yamcha, Tein Shinhan, Chiaotzu, Videl Satan, Chi-Chi, and Ran Fuan... none of them knew what they would be getting themselves into.

But they will.

"Eighteen. It is time," Kami finally called out.

Teena paused, looking to Kami, then nodding. She then turned back towards her friends for final goodbyes, beginning with a close hug from Chi-Chi...

"Don't die on me again, okay girl?" Teena whispered.

"I'll be careful..." answered Chi-Chi.

... then going to Ran Fuan, who hugged Teena tightly...

"I'll make you proud, Teena..." Ran said. "I'll beat those Saiyans up myself if I gotta."

"You got the heart for it, Ran..." Teena praised. "Train hard, okay?"

... over to Videl, who leapt into Teena's arms and embraced her tightly with tears in her eyes...

"... d-don't go, Teena... you'll b-be gone for so long... I'll m-miss you..."

"I'll miss you too, Videl..." Teena ruffled Videl's hair, then looked into the child's eyes. "I'll see you soon, so don't worry. Oh, don't forget to E-Mail your dad every so often. As far as he knows you're in summer camp."

Videl managed a slight giggle despite her sadness. "Don't worry... I will."

... turning towards Yamcha with a firm handshake...

"Good luck, Teena..." Yamcha said. "Hope your training goes as well as ours."

"It will, I'm sure of it..." Tein interjected, as he gave Teena a Roman handshake. "With all of us, including Piccolo, ready to fight, the Saiyans won't stand a chance!"

Chiaotzu nodded. "Nine against two are certainly welcome odds."

"Well, we'll see..." Teena said, then glanced over to Krillin. "Hey. You've been pretty quiet so far. No well-wishes or a 'good luck' or whatever?"

"..." Krillin looked up at Teena, then lowered his head with a blush. _I could die in the coming year... and I'd never have the chance to tell Teena how I feel about her... how I _REALLY_ feel. So what's stopping me?!_ he sighed, looking up at Teena once more. "... good luck, Teena..."

"Thanks, Krillin." Teena leaned down, and kissed Krillin on the cheek. "See ya."

Krillin gasped, touching the area of his face Teena had kissed as he watched her pick up her duffle bag and walk towards Kami. "... she... kissed me...?"

"Lucky dog..." Yamcha smirked. "'Course I kissed her too, you know. That was years ago, though..."

"..." Krillin ignored Yamcha, still touching his cheek. _Why did I get that feeling of deja vu? That... she kissed me before? Just like this...?_

"Mr. Popo..." Kami looked to his servant and friend. "Be sure to begin the training in my absence until I return."

"It shall be done, Kami..." Mr. Popo nodded.

"Are you ready, Eighteen?" Kami asked, raising his hand towards Teena, who nodded as she took it firmly into her own.

"Beam me up, Scotty..." she said. And with that, both her and Kami disappeared.

---

"... and so she has come, still alive and in flesh form, to receive training," Kami explained to the giant Lord Enma as he placed a hand on the shoulder of Teena, who couldn't help but look around at the strange settings around her, and back up at Enma himself. "Does she have your permission to proceed towards King Kai, Lord Enma?"

"Let me see..." Enma looked through his book of names. "Eighteen, Eighteen... hm, 'look under Ge...' ah, I see..." He then proceeded to flip through the book's pages, causing Teena to give pause.

"... what's he doing?" she asked Kami.

"You must not be officially listed under the name 'Eighteen,' so he's looking up your real name for reference," Kami answered.

"..." Teena's eyes widened. "... I don't even remember my real name..."

"Here you are..." Enma said, finding Teena's real name. "Yes, quite a list of meritorious achievements. If she were dead it'd be enough to fly straight to Heaven, and yet you want her to risk Snake Way to see the Lord of Worlds?"

"Yes, sir..." Kami answered.

"So, everyone comes here when they die?" Teena asked Kami.

"They do." Kami nodded.

"And he knows my real name... which means..." Teena looked up towards Enma. "Did my parents come here? Or are they--"

"Yes, they did..." Enma answered. "Fifteen years ago, in fact."

"..." Teena lowered her head, eyes closing. "Well, at least I know they're gone. I wish I can learn more but I don't have time to explore my past." She looked back up to Enma. "I must see King Kai. I'll take any risks. I have to protect my world!"

_... A brave soul, to speak like that in front of a lord like Enma..._ Kami observed.

"Very well, it is done!" Enma proclaimed. "If you want the Lord of Worlds so badly... go!"

Teena smiled brightly, and bowed respectfully. "Thank you, sir."

"Wait for the guide by the side entrance," Enma instructed. "Please note management takes no responsibility for what happens on Snake Way."

"Well then... good luck," Kami told Teena. "You'll need it this year."

"Yeah, no kidding..." Teena hefted her duffle bag up over her shoulder. "See ya soon, Kami. Train my friends well... teach them everything you taught me, will you?"

"That I will, Eighteen.." Kami nodded. "Godspeed."

Teena nodded back. "'Second star from the right, straight on till morning.'" And thus, she turned around and headed out the side entrance.

"'Peter & Wendy...'" a wise, wizened crone sitting upon a floating crystal ball recognized as she flew to Teena's side. "I see this one's well-read in the classics."

"And you are...?" asked Teena.

"Baba Uranai. I'm your guide to the beginning of Snake Way. It's quite a trip, but considering your liveliness it shouldn't take too long in getting there. Fly with me, will you dearie?"

"Sure..." Teena smiled, and pushed off of the bridge, floating alongside Baba. "So what's this King Kai guy like, anyhow?"

"Well, I've never met him, personally, but it's said he stands above all the gods of the universe!"

"That big, huh?" Teena whistled. A long pause settled in as she and Baba continued on their way. "... you know... I've always loved flying this high back home, above the clouds..." she finally said. "For some reason it's nicer out here, but at the same time, lonelier. You think?"

"An intellectual of sorts, I see..." Baba smiled. "Not like the other one who came before you-- ah, here we are!"

"Hm?" Teena turned facing front, and paused to see a giant serpent staring back at her. "..."

"Snake Way, my dear!" Baba proclaimed, then stopped, noticing Teena's hesitation. "Is there something wrong, child?"

"N-no, it's just... didn't expect Snake Way to be a _REAL_ snake..." Teena laughed nervously.

"Well, it's not going to eat you or anything..."

"If you say so..." Teena sighed deeply.

Baba cocked her head. "Do you have a problem with snakes?"

"No... I don't mind snakes. It's the food chain I have issues with. And me being a part of it." Teena glanced at Baba. "Stupid, isn't it? That I'd be afraid of something like that?"

"Not at all, child..." Baba answered. _As I thought... despite her loss of memory she is still troubled by the past..._ she added in thought.

"So... now what?" asked Teena.

"Just follow the green scale road!" Baba answered. "And it'll take you straight to King Kai himself."

"Right..." Teena stared at the gaping maw of Snake Way, still hesitant. "... are you _SURE_ it--"

"IT'S NOT GOING TO EAT YOU!!!" Baba retorted sternly. "Gracious, you face an entire army and a Saiyan warrior stronger than you and you're scared of being eaten?!"

"Hey, you don't see _ME_ harp about _YOUR_ hang-ups!" Teena stated back. "Which... if I knew what they were then I'd wouldn't harp. 'Cause harping's not cool and... and stuff..." She sighed, and gazed out at the winding distance of Snake Way. "... how long is this thing anyhow?"

"Legend says it's about sixty-three thousand miles," Baba answered.

"..." Teena paused for a good long moment, then looked back at Baba. "No, really. How long is it?"

"Sixty-three thousand miles," Baba repeated.

"... Well, hell..." Teena sighed. "Did anyone reach the end?"

"Well, Lord Enma did, and in just the past hundred million years. Then there was another... he did it in at least six months. Figured the latter would prove more motivational than the former..."

"Yeah... I'd choose six months over hundred million years any day..." Teena looked back at the gaping maw, and sighed before making a quick jump onto Snake Way's neck, avoiding the head entirely. "Better get moving..."

"A word of warning, Eighteen..." Baba pointed down. "Hell is right down there, past the clouds. If you fall in, you'll never get out."

"Good to know..." Teena looked towards the distance. "Wasted enough time. Thanks, Baba."

"Good luck, Eighteen..." Baba nodded.

Teena smiled, giving Baba a thumbs up, then took a single step and rocketed through the sky, following Snake Way closely.

"... she may get there faster than Goku ever did..." Baba remarked, nodding to herself.

---

Bulma sighed, sipping a cup of milk tea as she looked out at the tropical setting the Kame House was surrounded in. "It's going to be a quiet year, without Teena and the others..." she remarked to herself. "... the calm before the storm... God, I hope we make it through this one in one piece..."

As Bulma turned around, she noticed Puar slowly floating by, a mug of coffee held close between her forepaws. _Puar...? What's she up to that'd make her drink coffee? I've never seen her drink coffee before, ever!_ Curiosity overtaking Bulma, she crept towards Puar's direction, following the cat into Yamcha's vacant bedroom.

"Okay..." Puar floated down to the table with the anatomy book open wide, sipping her coffee before going back to read a particular paragraph. "'... take note however, when you assume this perfect shape, you will remain this shape for all of your natural life, though your powers will remain intact.'" She sighed softly. "It'll be worth it..." she said to herself, before pausing. "... I must _REALLY_ be tired if I'm talking to myself..."

"Puar?" Bulma walked in, causing the cat to panic and quickly close the book. "... Puar, what's going on? _WHAT_ will be worth it? What's this 'perfect shape?' You're getting all this from that anatomy book I bought you?!"

"..." Puar hesitated, and then sighed dejectedly. "Yes... it's not really an anatomy book, you see. It's a lost, forbidden tome from my shapeshifting school. On how to assume a humanoid shape in place of your original one. Permanently."

"... say what?" Bulma opened the book, looking through it. "... Puar, there's nothing in this book that says anything about shapeshifting...!"

"The information's encoded..." Puar explained. "It took me months to decipher the words and to understand the book's true nature."

"But Puar, why?" Bulma asked. "We all like you the way you are! Why do you want to permanently shape-shift into a human?"

"..." Puar lowered her head, choosing what to say before speaking. "... I just... want to be useful to Yamcha again. You see, by changing into a humanoid form my own powers will increase in potency! There's details as to how that happens in the book but it's too much to get into at the moment... but while I'll never be able to assume my original shape anymore I'll be able to do things with my powers that I or Oolong would never be able to do now, and at longer intervals of time, too!"

"Oh?" Bulma queried, cocking her head as she crossed her arms.

"Yes..." Puar sat down with a sigh. "I remember the old days when Yamcha and I were a team. Just a couple of bandits living by our own rules, not a care in the world. Then you, Teena, and Oolong showed up and everything changed." _You stole Yamcha from me..._ she added in thought. "And... with the Saiyans showing up and all I figured... now would be a good time to prove my worth to Yamcha once and for all. Somehow..." _Prove my love to him is true. Truer than yours... you can't even decide if you love him or hate him..._

"Oh..." Bulma sighed softly, sitting down by Puar. "And you can't do that as you are now?"

Puar shook her head. "I'm ready. I've learned all I can from the book, Bulma. "All I need to do is concentrate hard on the image of a human female. It won't be like my past transformations. It'll be painful. Excruciatingly so. I wanted Yamcha to be with me when I change..."

"But he's at the Lookout..." Bulma sighed. Then looked to Puar and smiled. "I'll be here for you. After all, I'm more medically trained than Yamcha anyhow, what with giving Teena physicals every so often... I'll be there to check you and make sure everything's in working order, okay?"

"...?" Puar blinked twice, looking to Bulma. "You'd do that for me?" _Even though I may steal Yamcha away from you?_

Bulma nodded. "Tomorrow. We'll head back to Capsule Corp so I can better monitor you and check you. If anything goes wrong, we'll handle it on the spot."

Puar smiled, and floated over, hugging and nuzzling Bulma. "Thank you, Bulma. You're a true friend." _I just hope you'll still be my friend if I win Yamcha from you..._

Bulma smiled back, hugging Puar. "I try, Puar. I try."

---

Teena stood silently upon Snake Way, brushing back her hair as she took time out to take in her surroundings, to appreciate the lonely beauty the afterlife had to offer. She had it all calculated, within her biocybernetically enhanced brain, how long it would take her to get from Lord Enma's checkpoint to where King Kai would be; factoring in the fact that she would never tire, the surmised distance of Snake Way, and the rate of speed she could fly.

"... four and a half months, tops..." Teena projected. "... if I'd known how long it'd take I would've brought a Game Mate with me..."

Sighing, Teena picked up her duffle bag, slinging the strap over her shoulder. Before taking off, she paused, turning her head towards the sky. "Mama... Daddy... I don't remember you, your faces... anything about you. But if you can hear me. I still love you..."

Teena looked ahead, then took a short jump and shot off like a bullet towards her intended destination.

---

Night set upon the Earth, and the seven warriors were given a reprieve from their rigorous training. They all sat upon the ledge of the Lookout, overlooking the stars in the night sky.

"Beautiful night out..." Ran Fuan remarked, looking upward. "We're so high above the clouds there's no obstruction of the stars or the Moon. Mmmm, and that cool night air... feels good after the training we had." She slipped her shirt off, baring her bra-clad chest and causing blushes from the shy Krillin and Chiaotzu and glances from Tein and Yamcha.

"Hope you're not planning on beating the Saiyans with just T & A alone..." Chi-Chi remarked.

"No way... I learned my lesson with Namu..." Ran Fuan replied, recalling her lost fight in the first Tenkaichi Budokai she participated in. "Showing a little sex appeal's good for taunting, but it can only take you so far. Which is why I am so grateful to Teena... thanks to her training me I've become a much better fighter than I was before."

Chi-Chi nodded. "When you've got a sufficient motivator like Teena, it seems like anything is possible. And with the additional training we'll get from Kami we should hold our own against the Saiyans well."

Videl nodded, petting Teena's kitten Neney who purred in her sleep, laying on the girl's lap. "I wonder how Teena's doing now..."

"Are you kidding?" Krillin smirked. "Knowing Teena she's probably half-way done with her training by now. You know her, she never stops until she's done!"

"She's got more determination than anyone I know..." Tein remarked. "Adding in the fact that she never feels fatigue... I'm definitely thankful she's not my enemy."

"Me too..." Yamcha agreed. "Personally I wouldn't want to fight anyone so beautiful for fear of damaging such a pretty face."

"Heh, and instead she'd go and damage yours..." Krillin retorted. "That's Teena for you. I don't think she's afraid of anything!"

"Other than losing her friends..." Chi-Chi added softly.

The Lookout became unsettlingly quiet for a good long moment, all seven warriors unable to find anything to say after Chi-Chi's statement.

"Well, it's true..." Chi-Chi spoke up. "She's scared of her own longevity. She told me herself, after she beat Piccolo back at the Budokai. She called herself a digital immortal... unable to age with her cybernetics keeping her young... while everyone and everything around her grows old and dies."

"She could wish to be human with the Dragon Balls, and yet she chooses not to, wanting to use her full strength to protect the Earth..." Chiaotzu nodded. "Our friend indeed lives quite the tragic life."

"Someday she'll quit. But until then..." Chi-Chi sighed, then turned her head to see Mr. Popo, who waited quietly for her and the others to notice him. "Yes, Mr. Popo?"

"I wanted to tell you before you retired for the night..." Mr. Popo said. "Kami has a special training session prepared tomorrow. I trust you will be ready?"

"You bet your turban we'll be ready..." Ran Fuan answered with a wink.

Mr. Popo chuckled. "Such enthusiasm," he remarked, before turning to walk away.

"I wonder what kind of training Kami's got lined up..." Yamcha said, cocking his head.

"We'll be ready for it. I'm sure of it..." Krillin smiled.

---

Morning arose.

"I want to thank you again... for doing this for me," Puar said as she lay on the examination table in one of Capsule Corp's medical rooms, Bulma attaching EKG sensors to her small body. "I guess, considering the change I'm going to go through, having you here is a blessing."

"Of course it is..." Bulma winked at Puar, before looking to the EKG readout. "Well, heart rate, vital signs're all normal. For a cat, anyhow."

"That'll change, I guarantee that..." Puar said. "They'll probably be very screwy during the change. I'm switching species, after all..."

"Yeah..." Bulma sighed softly, and reached down to scratch Puar behind the ears, causing her to coo softly, purring happily. "One last scritchy for the road..."

"Mmmmmrrrrrr..." Puar sighed, then opened her eyes, looking to Bulma. "... Ready?"

"I'm ready, Puar..." Bulma nodded. "Good luck."

"Thanks..." Puar closed her eyes, and began to breathe slower and deeper, her chest rising and falling, as she mimicked a human breathing rate. "... okay... oohh, kaay..."

Bulma watched intently as Puar proceeded to slip into her focus, and she remembered what she had told her, how the transformation would take place.

_"I have to visualize the human shape I want, and then I have to deconstruct that shape layer by layer, from the skin on down to the skeleton. Once I do that, then the hard part starts... I have to change into the skeleton, then force the organs, nerves, muscles, everything to form. It won't be a pretty sight, and the moment I form the nervous system, shortly after the skeleton, it'll hurt. A _LOT._ There's a good chance I may actually die doing this. But for Yamcha... for the chance to be useful to him again, it'll be worth it."_

Bulma's train of thought was abruptly interrupted with the familiar _poof_ sound that signaled Puar's transformation on so many different occasions, and in place of the blue-grey furred cat Bulma was proud to call a friend was a humanoid female skeleton with a three-foot tail grown from the base of its spine. The EKG readouts were all flatlined, but Bulma did her best not to panic, forcing herself to rationalize that it was simply because her brain and heart hadn't reformed yet. Bulma then heard the blip-blip sounds from the brainwave readout and watched as the nerve endings began to take root.

The skeleton suddenly jerked back, showing signs of life as it writhed in agony, the jaw open in a silent vocal cord-less shriek. "Hold on, Puar!" Bulma shouted, despite knowing Puar couldn't hear yet. All Bulma could do was watch, refraining from touching Puar for fear of interrupting the astonishing transformation which looked fascinatingly like a kind of reverse-autopsy. Organs liquified into solidity now... lungs, heart, stomach, liver, ovaries, and the like... and Bulma heard a gurgling, cracking sound which quickly evolved into a female scream of pain as Puar's vocal cords reconstructed themselves.

"B-BUL--M-MA!!!" she screamed. "AAHHHH!!! IT HURTS!! OH GOD IT-- IT-- AAAAHH!!!"

"Hold on, Puar!! You're halfway there!!" Bulma shouted. "You can do it!!"

Puar trembled in agony Bulma could only imagine, looking into her friend's eyes now that they were formed; gold irises with vertically slit pupils gazed at Bulma almost pleadingly, then her partially-reconstructed body stiffened as the muscular system began to close around her bones, her breathing becoming erratic, the EKG going mad with blips.

"Don't give up, Puar!!" Bulma shouted more word of encouragement. "Do it... do it for Yamcha!!"

"... yam... cha..." Puar gripped the edges of the examination table, gritting her teeth as she whimpered, her lymphatic system and fatty deposits forming at the same time to create Puar's mammary glands. Cartilage growing from Puar's head to form ears, pointed and cat-like.

"You've almost got it!!" Bulma said. "All you need now is your skin!"

Puar nodded quickly, taking short breaths as if she were in labor, and in a way she was, re-birthing herself, as she let out a high-pitched cry, and like a wave her skin flowed over her exposed muscles, from the soles of her feet all the way up to the crown of her head. And she finally went limp, panting exhaustedly as her hair grew out in record time.

Bulma stood there for a moment, staring at Puar, once a small cat-like creature, now a beautiful and naked cat-girl, lengthy tresses of grey framing her cute face, a tail covered with grey fur with a tannish brown tip at the end. Bulma guessed her height to be roughly five feet five inches, and as her eyes focused on Puar's newly formed breasts as they rose and fell with each fresh breath she took with new lungs, an astonished realization crossed her mind.

_... her breasts're bigger than mine! Only by a few inches, but still...!_

Bulma paused, noticing Puar shivering a little. Quickly she grabbed a lab coat from a hanger and draped it over Puar's nude body. "There you go."

"T-thanks..." Puar said; her voice was similar to her former one, but it was no longer exaggeratedly high-pitched. "Never factored in h-how c-colder things'd get w-without fur t-to keep y-you warm..." She pulled the coat closer to her, still shivering.

"Let's see..." Bulma glanced a the EKG readouts. "Normal across the board, only more human now and less cat." She looked back at Puar. "... how do you feel overall, Puar? Aside from cold?"

"Weak..." Puar answered. "And h-hungry. Guess it's t-to be expected... I'm reborn after all. It'll take me a while to g-get re-accustomed to my body now that it's n-new.."

Bulma nodded. "Wait here. I'll get you something to eat. Anything you want in particular?"

Puar shook her head. "I don't mind. As l-long as it's edible..."

"Okay. Wait right here then." Bulma smiled at Puar, then turned to leave the examination room, leaving Puar to get re-accustomed to her new body.

Puar stared at her new human hand, clenching and unclenching it from a fist and back. Then with a thought, extracted cat-like claws from her fingertips. And she smiled to herself, liking what she had become. Retracting them, she then sighed, bringing her knees close to her chest.

"... you'll forgive me, won't you Bulma...?" she wondered to herself.

---

"Bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored..." Teena sighed deeply, flying across Snake Way with a dejected look on her face, hands behind her head. "'Sure, I'll train your friends, Teena! But you'll have to go to the afterlife and train with the Lord of Worlds! Oh, I forgot to tell you the afterlife will get boring quickly while you're flying across a big freakin' snake for four and a half months!' AAAHHH!!! What the hell was I thinking?!!" Teena skidded to a halt, landing to her feet, and paced about before stopping, throwing her hands up and shouting, "Yes! Yes, I _KNOW_ this is all to stop Nappa and Vegeta from going Apocalyptic on Earth but COME ON HERE!!! I'm bored to death!! Gimme something! ANYTHING!! Or else I'm gonna strip naked and streak the rest of the way!" Teena sighed. "Yeah, that'll be fun for about... I dunno, ten minutes..." Teena dropped down, sitting cross-legged with her head propped up on her hands. "Okay... Snake Way's gonna come to life and attack me right, about, NOW!"

Teena waited.

"Okay, now!"

She still waited.

"Now!"

Nothing.

"... now...?"

Still nothing.

"... crap." Teena fell onto her back and let out another deep, dejected sigh. "Screw whatever's below the clouds here, _THIS_ is Hell." She looked ahead, then blinked, spotting something. Rolling onto her belly she looked closer at what looked like a white pagoda way off in the distance of Snake Way.

"... it's something other than this stupid lizardy road..." Teena realized. "... weird, Baba didn't mention this. Oh, who the hell cares, it's something!! It's something to go to and check out and I'm... talking to myself..." Teena blinked thrice, then shook her head, eyes focused on the lone pagoda. "There'd better be people there or so help me..." Pushing off the scaled road, duffle bag clutched tight, Teena flew towards the pagoda faster than she had ever flown before.

---

"This is where Eighteen did much of her training..." Kami said as he led the seven warriors, or the "Magnificent Seven" as Ran Fuan had dubbed them, into a large room with a circular indentation in the center with runes etched within, and a swinging pendulum up above them. "This is the Room of Spirit and Time."

"Amazing..." Chi-Chi looked around, then turned to Kami. "Excuse me, sir... this room is certainly large, but it still seems a little small for all seven of us to be training."

"It may seem that way, yes..." Kami said. "But it's not here that you will be training. It shall be in the past."

Everyone exclaimed their own level of surprise as Kami realized the Room's purpose. "Wow! We're gonna go back in time?!" exclaimed Videl.

"Your spirits will..." Kami explained. "While your bodies will remain here, your spirits will travel through time to receive the necessary training. It is a precautionary measure, you see... should anything happen to you in the past, your spirits will return to your bodies and you'll be none the worse for wear."

"And you say Teena went through training here?" queried Krillin.

"She did..." confirmed Kami. "Realistically speaking, I didn't train her at all! I merely pointed her towards the right direction, and she trained herself!"

"Wow, really?" Videl blinked twice in surprise. "Teena's so cool...!"

"That's all there is to it?" Tein smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Simple enough. Ready, Chiaotzu?"

"I certainly am!" Chiaotzu answered.

"Yeah, let's do this!" Ran Fuan said with enthusiastic vigor.

"Where're we going, anyhow?" asked Yamcha.

"Twenty-two years into the past... to the Saiyan homeworld of Vegeta," Kami answered as he went to a console, pulling on some levers and turning knobs. "Now, could the seven of you stand in the middle of the circle there, we can proceed."

"... wait, didn't Teena say that one of the Saiyans' names is Vegeta? And their planet is _CALLED_ Vegeta?!" Ran Fuan sighed, shaking her head. "Can we be any more egoriffic?"

"Focus, everyone!" Kami shouted, as the pendulum above them began to swing faster. "You're about to enter the past! Be advised that your opponents are ruthless! And good luck!"

The Magnificent Seven's vision blurred as it appeared their surroundings melted around them. As their sight cleared, they found themselves no longer in the Room of Spirit and Time, not even on their own world, but on a desert landscape, under a red sky with twin moons overhead.

"... wow... we're on another planet..." Videl looked around, whistling. "This is so cool!"

"Everything feels weird, though..." Ran Fuan thought about it, then walked over to a rock on the ground, proceeding to pick it up. But found herself struggling to lift the small stone. "... uunggh... no way... how can it be so heavy...!"

"... the planet!" Krillin realized. "Its gravity must be stronger than Earth's! I mean, it makes sense! My training with Master Roshi required me to wear a heavy shell on my back and I benefitted greatly from it! No wonder that Raditz guy was so strong! He must have had the luck of training under this gravity!"

"That means the two Saiyans on their way had the same luck as well..." Tein said grimly.

"Then how come we're not affected by it?" asked Yamcha. "If the gravity's so strong then how come we're not all squished by now?"

"Because our bodies are in the present," Chiaotzu deduced. "Our spirit bodies must be unaffected by the intense gravity of this world."

"Well, I guess that makes sen--" Chi-Chi's sentence was cut drastically short as a blur of black and green suddenly struck her in the solar plexus. As Chi-Chi doubled over, coughing up blood, her allies saw her attacker... a man clad in black and green armor similar in design to Raditz's, a scouter over his left eye, wild spiky hair on his head, a scar on his left cheek, and the all-too-familiar monkey tail wrapped about his waist.

"Hmph..." He looked at the remaining six warriors through his scouter, and then down at the injured Chi-Chi. "Such low power levels. You all must be suicidal to try to invade our world."

"We'll just have to teach them a lesson. Eh, Bardock?" A tallish male Saiyan in black and light blue armor dropped down next to the black/green armored Saiyan, quickly followed by a balding giant with three scars on his forehead, an obese Saiyan with a Fu Manchu moustache, and a short-haired female Saiyan, who immediately gave pause, noticing Videl, Krillin, and Chiaotzu.

"... but why are children here as well...?" the female Saiyan asked.

"Kill first, ask questions never, Celipa..." Bardock said as he began to power up. "It's time to defend our world!"

"... we are so pureé-ed..." Ran Fuan dreaded, as she and her friends got into defensive positions.

---

"N-NNOOOO!!!" Ran Fuan screamed, snapping back and hugging herself, eyes wide. She blinked, finding herself back in the Room of Spirit and Time with the others. "Oh... right. Reset button's hit."

"... we're alive..." Chi-Chi sighed in relief, caressing her stomach, then her forehead. "It felt... seemed so real, though..."

"Man, that was a nightmare!" Yamcha exclaimed, rubbing his shoulder. "Those five Saiyans... they were unstoppable!"

"They were indeed..." Kami said simply. "And the two Saiyans coming to Earth are even..." he paused, noticing Videl, who remained standing, unmoving since the seven had returned. "... odd..."

"Huh?" Ran Fuan turned to face Videl; the young girl had a vacant stare, eyes wide but unseeing. "... omiGod, Videl!!"

"Videl--?!" Chiaotzu cocked his head, using his telepathic powers to search through Videl's mind, then pulled away in surprise. "... she... she isn't there. She still lives but her mind is gone!"

"Oh God..." Krillin blinked. "... she's trapped in the past! With those Saiyans!!"

"Kami! There must be something we can do!" shouted Tein.

"I sympathize with you, Tein.. but I'm afraid even _I_ cannot do anything... this has never happened before..." Kami stared sadly at the catatonic Videl. "Eventually she will return to us on her own. But in what state of mind, I cannot dare to guess. One year later in the past the planet Vegeta will be destroyed."

"... oh, man... if Videl's still on that planet when it goes up..." Yamcha muttered.

"... indeed..." Kami sighed solemnly. "Heaven only knows what kind of psychological trauma the poor child will endure..."

"... Videl..." Ran Fuan sighed deeply, and embraced the comatose child tightly in her arms. "... be strong, girl... you gotta be strong..."

-- TO BE CONTINUED.


	5. All Within My Hands

Finally, she had made it. 

It took her a little over a month, but Teena had finally arrived at the white pagoda she had spotted off at the distance. Needless to say, Teena was overeager for something, anything, to happen on her long and lonely trek along Snake Way. And to her, the pagoda was a beacon of light, something that would rip the shroud of boredom placed upon Teena's brow to shreds. 

"Hello?!" she called out. "Anyone in there? Anyone?" Teena went to one of the windows and tried to peer into it, but the interior was too dark, obscuring her vision of anything remotely interesting inside. Undaunted, she rapped on the window, hoping to draw anyone's attention inside. "C'mon, ANYONE!!" She waited for a moment, then sighed as she turned away, walking to her discarded duffle bag and picking it up. 

"... deserted..." Teena muttered, utter disappointment in her tone. "Knew it was too good to be true..." 

Teena then paused, hearing a faint hissing sound behind her, and a shiver felt its way up her spine. Tentatively, she turned around, looking up, and stood face-to-face with a jade-scaled snake that seemed to had replaced the pagoda entirely. As paralyzing fear overtook the normally courageous cyborg heroine, she dropped the duffle bag, trembling visibly, and she whimpered a single word involuntarily, tears welling up in her eyes. 

"... m-mommy..." 

Teena didn't have time to scream as the snake lunged down, swallowing her whole... 

**THE 18TH**  
"All Within My Hands"  
By  
Ken Blackwell

"Kill first, ask questions never, Celipa..." Bardock said as he began to power up. "It's time to defend our world!!" 

"... we are so pureé-ed..." Ran Fuan dreaded, as she and her friends got into defensive positions. Bardock grinned darkly, then looked down at Chi-Chi, who was just now beginning to get up. Ran Fuan gasped, noticing too late the danger her friend was in. "Oh God, Chi-Chi--" 

Bardock acted quickly, firing a blast of energy that struck Chi-Chi in the head, vaporizing it. Her decapitated body stiffened, then collapsed, letting out a slight twitch before going limp. 

"CHI-CHI!!" Videl screamed. 

"Now, while they're in shock!" Bardock shouted. "NO MERCY!!" 

And like a pack of wolves, Bardock and his crew descended upon the remaining six warriors from Earth. The end result was nothing less than a slaughter. Yamcha recoiled back a bloody stump of a shoulder from a knife-edged chop from Celipa, while Tein stood his ground as best as he could against the tall Saiyan named Toma. Ran Fuan lunged herself at Bardock, punching him as hard as she could in the jaw. But the Saiyan warrior easily shrugged it off, grabbing Ran Fuan by the neck. 

'You're very pretty..." Bardock said to her. "Too bad for you... I already have a lifemate." 

Bardock then pushed Ran Fuan back and slashed a hand across in front of her. She let out a gasp, feeling her body from her left shoulder to her right side go numb. Instinctively she hugged herself, but gravity proved to be the victor as her upper half fell to the ground, her lower body following shortly after. 

"N-noo..." Ran Fuan let out, a final breath from her bisected lungs. 

Toma got the upper hand in his fight with Tein, spinning around behind him and shoving an elbow to the triclopean warrior's back, snapping his spine. Tein cried out, and went limp, but Toma caught him, looking straight into his face. 

"Despite your power level, you fought well..." Toma said. "I'll grant you a warrior's death." 

"Just finish it..." Tein gasped, coughing up blood. 

"As you wish..." And Toma promptly broke Tein's neck. 

Videl looked around, shuddering as she watched her friends drop like flies at the hands of the brutal Saiyans. She knew her friends weren't really dead, but it didn't cushion the blow of watching their spirit selves die. 

"There you are!!" The obese Saiyan, Panboukin, bellowed as he came plummeting down at Videl, who quickly avoided him as he nearly pulped her on the spot. She then dashed forward, the sheer determination in her youthful face giving Panboukin pause as she jumped at him, close enough to throw her short-ranged chi blast directly into the big Saiyan's face. As he staggered back, temporarily blinded, Videl landed to her feet and promptly ran from Panboukin, knowing she didn't stand a chance against him. But she was jerked back like a dog on a chain, her long braided hair seized by Panboukin, who pulled her to him, a twisted grin on his face. "Little runt! You're dead!" 

Panboukin enclosed his hand around Videl's head and he began to squeeze. He felt her tears on his palm, and merely grinned evilly, about to squeeze harder and crush her skull like a grape. 

_Oh, God... please don't let it hurt... please..._ Videl cried harder as she braced herself for the fatal instant her head would explode. Instead, she felt Panboukin get struck hard from behind, forcing her release. She dropped to the ground, and she made haste to fly away. But once again she was caught from behind... only this time, it was a more gentle seizure, more like a hug, and a gentle voice spoke to her. 

"Are you all right, little one?" 

"Ow... dammit, Celipa!!" Panboukin shouted. "What the hell's your problem?!" 

Videl blinked, and turned her head, seeing that the one who rescued her was indeed the female Saiyan. _... A Saiyan saved my life?_ she wondered. _But... they're... aren't they... aren't Saiyans evil?!_

"What the hell's YOURS?!" Celipa retorted, landing to her feet with Videl still in her protective embrace. "She's a child! You know I draw the line when it comes to children... if I don't kill children then this CREW doesn't either!!" 

"This is ridiculous!" Panboukin turned towards Bardock. "Talk some sense into your sister!!" 

"Sorry, Panboukin..." Bardock shrugged. "You know how stubborn Celipa is. Chalk it up to Taanipu's influence, and you know where SHE gets it from." 

"... Aise..." Panboukin sighed, and glanced to Celipa. "... sorry..." 

"Apology accepted..." Celipa nodded. "... wait, where's those other two?" she looked around for Krillin and Chiaotzu. "Where's those other children?!" 

"They weren't kids..." the giant Saiyan, Totepo, muttered as he walked back to the group. "Their power levels're weak, but they weren't kids' levels, no way..." 

"... you killed them..." Celipa realized, then glanced down at Totepo's blood-spattered boots. "..." 

Videl felt herself getting hugged closer, tighter, feeling Celipa tremble with emotion; she couldn't tell if it were from anger or anguish. 

"I told you! They weren't kids! I--" Videl was suddenly released as Celipa charged at Totepo, slugging him hard in the jaw, the force of her punch hard enough to send the big man crashing down to his knees. 

_Wow, she's strong... like Teena!_ Videl realized. _And she's passionate about kids too... like Teena..._ Videl paused as Celipa walked towards her, kneeling down to face her with a sad gaze. 

"Do you have a name, little one?" she asked. 

"... Videl..." she answered. 

"I'm Celipa... and I promise you. I'll protect you." The female Saiyan smiled, and Videl could tell, from the look in her eyes, that it was a genuine smile, and that she was safe. "I'm sorry we had to kill your friends--" 

"Wh--?!" Toma blinked, as he and the others watched their fallen opponents vanish into thin air. "What happened?! Where'd they go?!" 

"... they're not dead, really..." Videl explained. "We're from the future... and... well, we were visiting the past in spirit bodies..." 

"Huh..." Bardock shrugged. "That's a new one on me, kid. Guess you owe Totepo an apology, Celipa." 

"The hell I do..." Celipa retorted. "Look, let's get back home, okay?" 

"And you're taking the girl with you?" Toma said. "She may look a lot like us, but she doesn't got a tail. She'd stand out too easily." 

"Well, it's not like tail-less humanoids are uncommon. On planet Vegeta they are..." Bardock looked to Celipa. "Better take the kid to Lady Aise. She'll know what to do." 

Celipa nodded. "Okay." 

"Aise?" Videl cocked her head. "Is she a Saiyan too?" 

"Hardly... she's, well... you'll see when you'll meet her, Videl..." Celipa smiled at the child. "Don't worry. Everything will be okay." 

"Well... all right..." Videl sighed softly. _I guess I got no choice but to go along with them,_ she added in thought. _But at least Celipa's here. For some reason... I feel as if I can trust her._

--- 

_... m-mommy... daddy..._

_... where is everyone..._

_... too dangerous... get out of here..._

_... mommy... no... what are you doing to mommy..._

_... stop it... stop hurting mommy..._

"STOP IT!!!" Teena sat up in a fright. She blinked, looking around quickly to find herself in a lavish room decorated in the style of the Orient, herself sitting upon a futon. She turned to the sound of a door sliding open, seeing a blue skinned girl in a Chinese dress, her face a cute sort, her hair short and black. 

"Ah, you're awake..." she said. "It sounded as if you were having a nightmare... I wished to check to see if you were all right." 

"I'll live..." Teena said with a soft smile that reassured the girl. "Uhm, where am I?" 

"Ah, you're in the palace of Jadoshin, Princess of Snake Way!" the girl proudly proclaimed. "We found you unconscious at our doorstep so we brought you in." She sighed softly. "Poor girl... traveling Snake Way, reaching the half-way mark... you must have been tired." 

"I don't tire. And--" Teena stopped herself. "Whoa. Be kind, rewind." 

"Ah... what?" the girl asked, confused by Teena's vocabulary. 

"Did you say I hit the half-way mark of this thing?!" 

"I did..." the girl nodded. 

"YES!" Teena cheered. "That means I got... at least perhaps two more months before I hit King Kai's place. Crap." Teena's cheer swiftly turned to dread as she sighed dejectedly. "Two more months of traveling the fine line between boredom and insanity. God, what a whack..." 

"Well... uhm, perhaps you can rest here before you leave?" the girl suggested. "This palace also serves as a waystation between travels, you know." 

"Well... I may just take that offer up," Teena replied. "I've spent a good month and a half on this road. I got over two more months to go." 

The girl nodded. "Yes, yes! Surely you must be hungry and thirsty during all that time!" 

"Not really..." Teena said as she shrugged. "I don't need to eat or drink. But I'll stick around for the taste of it." 

"That's quite all right, as long as you'll be staying! I'll alert the Princess!" The girl walked to a small gong sitting upon a dresser, and struck it with a small hammer. "Our latest guest has decided to stay!" 

"... geez..." Teena cocked her head with a smirk. "Y'know, I'm really not that big a deal." 

"Well, you _ARE_ our first guest since so many years ago... at least forty, in fact..." the girl explained. 

"... ah, well..." Teena cocked her head the other way. "One word. Advertise." 

"'Advertise...'" a soft voice repeated from behind Teena, then chuckled. "Well, you're certainly our more humorous guest in quite some time." 

"Ah, Princess!" the girl smiled brightly, bowing out of respect. Teena turned around, facing a beautiful woman with skin equally as blue as the girl's, her hair long and red, tied in a braid that reached down to her knees, and clad in a lavish green dress with gold trims, along with high-heeled sandals. 

"Welcome, traveler..." the woman greeted. "I am Jadoshin, Princess of this palace, and of Snake Way." 

"... a pleasure to meet you..." Teena stepped back and bowed respectfully to Jadoshin. "I am called Eighteen." 

"Really, now..." Jadoshin muttered. "Quite a peculiar name, forgive me for saying so... having a number for a name." 

"Let's just say my 'father' was pretty peculiar... it's easier to call me Teena. All my friends do." 

"Yes, much easier..." Jadoshin smiled. "Does this mean you consider me a friend, then?" 

"You saved me from going all wacky from boredom," Teena replied. "Right now, that makes you my savior." 

Jadoshin laughed, as she led Teena from the room, down a hallway. "I suppose I am, at that." 

--- 

Celipa had brought Videl to a huge saucer-like mothership orbiting the planet Vegeta... one of three orbiting it, as a matter of fact. Upon entering the ship Videl became witness to a menagerie of various alien beings, all female (at least Videl believed the majority were female; some races she couldn't tell at all), doing various tasks around the ship or just conversing with each other. Videl tried not to visibly stare at some of the more unusual lifeforms occupying the mothership, as Celipa led her towards a large door in what seemed like the center of the ship, marked with a symbol that resembled some kind of an "A"-like marking, with four tentacle or dredlock-like protrusions below it. 

"Celipa!" a voice called out from behind. Celipa turned, and smile as she and Videl saw a beautiful Saiyan woman approach, clad in white body armor and a grey leotard, her hair long and spiky-like and in a ponytail. 

"Taanipu..." Celipa greeted, and the two hugged each other, a sign of a lifelong friendship. "How are you today?" 

"Fine, I guess..." Taanipu answered. "Although I am a bit concerned..." 

"Let me guess. Raditz?" 

Taanipu nodded. "He went out with Prince Vegeta and Nappa last night. No doubt to follow Frieza's will." 

"... damn..." Celipa sighed, shaking her head. "Taanipu, I hate to say this because I love you and all. But it looks as if Frieza's got a hold of him. Sorry..." 

"I know..." Taanipu whispered, lowering her head. "Either Frieza's threatened him into doing his bidding..." 

"Or he's a bad seed to begin with." 

"... Should Bardock and I try for another child, then?" 

Celipa shrugged. "I wouldn't mind another nephew or niece to play with. Anyhow..." Celipa changed the subject. "Is Lady Aise busy? I have to talk to her about this little one..." she gestured towards Videl, who was waiting patiently to be the subject of attention. 

"Ah..." Taanipu smiled down at Videl. "Hello there. I'm Taanipu. And you are...?" 

"Videl..." she replied. 

"A pleasure, Videl..." she looked back up at Celipa. "I'm afraid Lady Aise is occupied at the moment with her brothers--" 

The doors suddenly slid open, and Celipa, Taanipu, and Videl turned to see two alien beings exit the room, and immediately Videl gasped, feeling the two tremendously powerful, terribly evil energy levels approach, and she hid behind Celipa, peeking around her. She saw the two beings... both male, almost reptilian in appearance. The first one was in a floating chair-like apparatus, his head adorned with twin horns. The second was on his hand-like feet, purple hued with white endoskeletal armor. The horned alien glanced at Videl, who cringed away, shivering, overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of his evil aura. He merely smirked, and floated away with the second alien, turning a corner and leaving Videl's field of vision, though she still felt their energy levels. 

"... w-who... who w-were they...?" Videl shuddered. 

"Lady Aise's brothers..." Celipa answered. "The hornless one's Cooler. The one with horns is Frieza." 

"... I... I'm... I've never been so scared..." Videl did her best to shake off the feeling of terror that overtook her, taking deep breaths. 

"Both Frieza and Cooler are extremely powerful," Taanipu said. "Fortunately, so is Lady Aise, and she's much more benevolent than her brothers..." 

"Talking about me behind my back, Taanipu?" 

Taanipu blinked, and the three turned to see an exotic alien beauty... somewhat the same as her brothers but terrifyingly so, as she seemed more human than reptilian, her feet actually looking like feet for example, and long dredlock-like quills that stretched down the back of her skull. She appeared to be nude despite showing no explicit sexual features, and shiny blue chitin-like plates adorned her shoulders, head, chest, arms, and legs. 

"Lady Aise..." Taanipu said, as she and Celipa bowed before her. Videl stared up at her, more in awe than frightened, like her brothers. "... if I may ask, why were your brothers here?" 

Aise sighed softly. "The usual... trying to get me into joining the family once again, for world conquest. This time they threatened to destroy one of my planets if I refused." 

"... which one will they..." 

"They didn't say," Aise answered Celipa before she could complete her question. "I've already advised Estro, Gen, and Surees to contact all my worlds and have the Elites there be on full alert. Of course, if Cooler or Frieza happen to be there... it may be a wasted action. But enough of that..." Aise put on a smile that did its best to hide her growing concern. "What seems to be the problem with the two of you? And..." she glanced down at Videl. "... who's the little one?" 

"Oh, uh..." Celipa put the thoughts of Cooler and Frieza threatening Aise behind her as she placed a hand on Videl's shoulder. "... this is Videl, Lady Aise. She says she's from the future." 

"From Earth..." Videl added. 

"Earth...! Ahh, yes... please, to me." Aise smiled, entering her room, with Videl, Celipa, and Taanipu following. "I visited Earth once, a long time ago when I myself was but a fledgeling. Undercover, of course... I don't believe Earth is quite ready for otherworldly visitors. But the future, you say..." Aise slipped into a floating chair-like contraption much like the one Frieza was in. 

"She showed up on planet Vegeta, Lady Aise..." Celipa explained. "We... as in, Bardock and the rest of us, uhm, 'found' her." 

"There must have been a reason to appear on planet Vegeta..." Aise surmised. "Or, was it a random occurrence, Videl?" 

"Well..." Videl sighed softly. "Around two months ago, my time, a Saiyan showed up on Earth and he was gonna kill everyone. He was beaten but in a year from now two more Saiyans're gonna come to Earth to finish it...!" 

"That... sounds a bit farfetched to me..." Taanipu theorized. 

"Maybe... then again, maybe not," Aise replied. "Do you know the names of the Saiyans who will be coming to Earth, Videl?" she asked this, her ruby red eyes peering into Videl's blues, searching for the truth within. 

"I... I think their names're Nappa and Vegeta..." answered Videl. 

"Hmm..." Aise nodded, then looked up at Celipa and Taanipu. "She speaks truthfully. In Videl's future our erstwhile Saiyan prince and his aide may very well spell certain doom for the Earth and its inhabitants." 

"But we're all preparing!" Videl added. "There's nine of us including me and we're all really strong! We're training, getting stronger! And--" 

"Videl..." Celipa interrupted. "We Saiyans are born warriors. We self-teach ourselves how to fight. On top of all that, both Nappa and Vegeta... they're much stronger than Bardock or myself or the others. Vegeta, hell... he's a prodigy! He's still a child in this time and he's already surpassed his own father! The king himself, if I may add!" 

"... so you're saying it's hopeless..." Videl muttered as she stared up at Celipa. "... that we can't beat them no matter what. That me... my friends... everyone on Earth're gonna die..." 

"..." Celipa sighed, then dropped down to hug Videl. "Nothing's ever hopeless..." she told her. "... I'll help." 

"Huh?" Videl blinked. 

"Celipa, what're you--?" Taanipu questioned. 

"I'll train extra hard..." Celipa explained. "Enough to hopefully surpass Vegeta himself. I'll train Videl, too. When the time comes I'll head to Earth and help their fighters defeat him and Nappa." 

"You'll go against your own royalty?" Aise questioned, cocking her head, to which Celipa shrugged. 

"What can I say?" she answered. "I'd do anything for children." 

Videl smiled. "Th-thanks, Celipa." 

"When will Vegeta and Nappa arrive, in our timeframe?" Taanipu asked. 

"Let's see... Kami said we were coming here twenty-two years in the past and they're coming in a year..." Videl calculated. 

"Twenty-three years..." Aise easily deduced. "A lot can happen between now and then, Celipa." 

"I'll be there, no matter what..." Celipa looked to Videl. "Anyhow... we have to find Videl here an undersuit and a battle jacket her size. Maybe fashion a synthetic tail so she can pass herself off as a Saiyan child. Who knows how long she's going to be here with us." 

Videl looked back up at Celipa with a grin, as the Saiyan discussed how to help her. _I'm gonna train with a Saiyan.. and she's gonna help us fight to save the Earth!! If only the others could see me now...!_

--- 

"And how is our new guest doing right now?" Jadoshin asked one of her aides, as the Snake Way's princess sat upon her throne, her other two aides attending her. 

"She's resting in the hot springs as we speak," the aide answered. "She's blissfully unaware of our preparations." 

"Good, good..." she paused, feeling not only her stomach rumble, but the stomachs of her aides rumble in precise unison, and she sighed softly. "It's been far too long since we've had a decent feast... eternal or not, a princess cannot live on ramen alone...!" 

"She'll make a grand feast, your majesty..." her second aide answered. "Her body is perfectly proportioned in every way. I should know, I spied on her while she was undressing..." she giggled softly. "Cooked properly, I'm positive every part of her will be delicious!" 

Jadoshin nodded solemnly. "I hate to do this without checking to make sure she isn't some champion or hero, but the needs of the body must be met. Let's just make sure this doesn't turn into another Goku incident. We make extra EXTRA _EXTRA_ sure she's down for the count before we cook her, okay?" 

The aides all nodded. "Yes, your majesty!" they replied together. 

"50 times the sleepy root extract in the food, then?" one aide suggested. 

"... better make it a hundred..." advised Jadoshin. "Just in case." 

"But that... wouldn't that be enough to kill her?" 

Jadoshin raised an eyebrow at the aide. "We're going to eat her." 

"Oh... right..." the aide laughed softly, embarrassed and sweatdropping. "It wouldn't matter... right... my apologies, your majesty..." 

"All right then... let's--" Jadoshin paused in her sentence, seeing Teena come into view; she had just gotten out of the springs, her hair devoid of its partial braid, a bath towel wrapped around her chest, and judging by the angry look on her face, Jadoshin could tell she overheard everything that was spoken just now. Nevertheless she tried to cover it all up. "Uh... hi, Teena! We were, uh... just talking about the grand turkey dinner we were going to prepare in the honor of--" 

"Ohh... turkey dinner, I see..." Teena nodded. "So you were spying on said turkey while she was undressing before going into the hot springs! Well, I must've needed Lenscrafters to see the turkey relaxing in the same springs as I was. Or _MAYBE_ you think I'll actually _BUY_ that lame-ass excuse!" Teena's eyes narrowed at Jadoshin. "Come on... I may be a natural blonde but I'm not stupid." 

"... Teena..." Jadoshin sighed. "I really wanted to avoid a confrontation here. You seem like a good person and all but... you must understand my situation here! I'm famished! I've gone for so long without decent food... you don't know how it is, to starve while being practically immortal..." 

"Not my problem..." Teena retorted. "I don't particularly enjoy the idea of being Soylant Greened, Jadoshin. So you know what? I got a suggestion. GO VEGETARIAN!" Teena turned around to leave. "Overstayed my welcome anyhow. I got a schedule to keep." 

"So do we, Teena..." Jadoshin said sadly. "Girls?" 

Jadoshin's aides suddenly sprung forward, their features shifting into the demonic as they took Teena by surprise, tackling her to the floor. Before Teena could react in any fashion she heard the two aides' jaws give off a soft cracking sound, dislocating like a snake's jaw and engulfing her shoulders almost entirely, sinking sharp fangs into her shoulder blades and her upper chest. Teena struggled in the aides' painful grasp, but then began to grow weaker, her body going numb as she felt venom coursing through her. 

"You should know," Jadoshin explained, as she stood up from her throne, approaching the paralyzed Teena. "Our sleepy root extract doesn't come from any plant. But from the roots of our fangs. It's the most powerful venom in the afterlife. And in its purest form, I'm afraid it's quite lethal." 

_N-no..._ Teena felt herself go limp, and as she watched the third aide remove the towel from her twitching body. She also felt her breathing getting shallower and shallower; not that breathing was an important factor for living for her, but nevertheless she was beginning to panic. _C'mon... bionanos, kick in... please... God, please..._

"I'm honestly sorry about this, Teena..." Jadoshin said, as her aides extracted their fangs from their victim's body, and their princess pulled her into a sitting position. "I wish there was another way. But... simply put, you showed up at the wrong place, the wrong time... but look on the bright side..." she glanced up at the lack-of-a-halo over Teena's head. "... at least you won't be going to the afterlife after you die... since you're already here." 

Jadoshin closed her eyes, and opened them to reveal snake-like ones with vertically slitted pupils, then dislocated her jaw, her neck stretching out, elongating outward as she gathered Teena's head into her mouth. And Teena screamed mentally, her very soul beyond the rational scope of panicking. With her remaining vestiges of strength, she pushed away from Jadoshin, surprising her and her aides with the sudden, albeit weak, act of movement. 

"... Hold her..." Jadoshin commanded with a sigh. 

The aides swiftly complied, grabbing Teena's arms, positioning her back to the sitting position, as her head lulled upward, her eyes gazing dazedly at the looming snake-like visage of Jadoshin. A soft whimper escaped her lips, her eyes brimming over with tears, falling past her face. 

_... what are you doing to mommy..._

Jadoshin once more lunged down to engulf Teena's head-- 

_... stop hurting mommy..._

--and Teena screamed, her Barrier flaring from her nude body, knocking Jadoshin and her aides from her. Shakily, she slowly got up, her legs still wobbly, her bionanos finally combating the effects of the venom. 

"... How the... the venom's losing its effect?!" one aide exclaimed in shock. "... Bite her again!!" 

The two aides that bit Teena the first time moved in for the kill once again, but she instinctively reacted, throwing an energy blast that struck one aide in the face, knocking her unconscious and throwing a body punch into the other aide's solarplexus. As both aides collapsed to the floor out cold, Teena staggered around to face Jadoshin, anger and tears in her ice blue eyes. "... how... dare you..." 

"Now wait just a second!" Jadoshin pleaded, backing off as her remaining aide stepped forward to protect her, brandishing an oversized scimitar. "L-look... I'm sorry, okay? Hunger... m-makes you do bad things! I'm starving, Teena!!" 

"How dare you... force me into living my worst fear..." Teena spat, ignoring Jadoshin's pleas. "Damned if I actually remember _WHY_ it affects me like this but I'll be equally damned if I forgive you for putting me through this hell!!" Teena raised her hand towards Jadoshin and her aide, energy building up within her palm. 

"... she's nothing like Goku..." the aide whispered, the scimitar shaking in her hands. "Princess, she's going to kill us!" 

"..." Jadoshin closed her eyes, reverting back into her human form. "... you may leave..." 

"What?!" Teena exclaimed, the energy still building up in her hand. 

"I know what we tried to do was wrong, Teena..." Jadoshin said. "We're truthfully not bad people but sometimes our base instincts overrides our common sense. I know you won't forgive us but please don't kill us. We'll let you leave in peace and on towards King Kai's, just please let us live." 

"And what about the next one who shows up on your doorstep?" Teena retorts. "What's to stop you from making them into Kibbles 'N Bits?" 

"... if they're truly evil, then they won't leave..." Jadoshin vowed. "I promise you, Teena... only evil people will be devoured... I'll let the good ones live in peace." 

"..." Teena paused for a good long moment. Then drew the energy back into herself, lowering her hand. "I'm getting dressed and I'm leaving... and don't ever call me 'Teena' ever again. Only my friends get that privilege." And with that, Teena turned around, leaving the room. 

Jadoshin's aide sighed deeply, dropping the scimitar with an audible clang as she slipped to her knees. "... that was too close..." 

"... I think it will be best if she doesn't know she was already swallowed by me..." advised Jadoshin. "Just let her go..." 

"A wise decision, your majesty..." agreed the aide. "... very wise..." 

--- 

A year had passed for Videl. 

Under Celipa's tutelage the now 12-year old had learned much from the Saiyan woman. Videl also learned much about the Saiyan race... the violent warriors who annihilated the Tuffles and took over their world, and through Aise, learned much about their benefactor, Frieza. She had made valuable friends with Aise, as well as Taanipu, and even Bardock and his crew. Though Videl steadfastly disapproved of Bardock's crew aiding Frieza in the genocide of whole species on various planets she at least saw that Celipa was trying to make some good out of the horrific situation by sparing the children, sending them to a planet set aside by Aise where they could live peacefully. 

_"It's not much... but if I can at least make sure they have a good future I can sleep better at night."_

Videl remembered Celipa's words, as she was hard at work training, perfecting her ki blasts; with Celipa's help she had finally mastered the long-ranged technique. Even more, she had learned to control the attack; she fired a ki blast from her palms, keeping an energy trail connected between it and her hands. Concentrating she jerked her hands back, willing the ki blast to encircle her, then darted it out behind her, striking its intended target. 

Videl smiled approvingly, and she remembered more of Celipa's words, telling her before she departed for her next mission. 

_"This will be my last mission for Frieza..." Celipa said, as she slipped her battle jacket on._

_"... R-really?!" Videl exclaimed with a happy smile._

_"Yeah..." Celipa smiled back, hugging Videl. "I knew you'd like that news. I'm gonna convince Toma to come with me, and we're going to Aise XXI."_

_"... where you've been sending those children..."_

_Celipa confirmed with a nod. "Just one more mission, on planet Meet. Then I'll come back for you and we'll leave Frieza's influence forever."_

Celipa told Videl she'd be back within two hours. 

It's been four hours already. And Videl suddenly had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, as if she felt something horrible had happened. 

"Celipa's dead." 

Videl blinked, turning to face Taanipu, her newborn baby, Kakarot, in her arms. "... w-what...?" 

"I just heard..." Taanipu said, her eyes closing. "... Celipa, Toma, Totepo, Panboukin... even Bardock, they're all dead..." 

"NO!" Videl shouted, tears welling up in her eyes. "That can't be!! She-- she... this was gonna be her last mission! Taanipu!! She was gonna help us defend Earth!! She can't be dead!!" 

"I'm sorry, Videl... believe me..." Taanipu's fears also fell, as she glanced down at her sleeping son. "I've known Celipa since we were children. This is hard on me, too... even more harder... I have to give Kakarot up." 

"Why?!" Videl exclaimed. 

"... his power level is too low... so we're sending him away, so he can wipe out a planet's population after he transforms..." Taanipu glanced at Videl, who was trembling with emotion, tears flowing like rivulets. "... no. No. I won't stand for it." 

"... h-huh...?" 

"It's all Frieza... his word, his law, his decree... it's because of him Bardock and Celipa are dead..." Taanipu smiled sadly. "Videl, thank you..." 

"For... for what?" 

"For being here..." Taanipu knelt down, hugging Videl with a free arm. "Celipa taught you well, but I think you taught her, too. Your innocence helped her on the right path... and it helped me make this decision, too. I'm not going to subject Kakarot to Frieza's will... I won't lose him like I lost Raditz. I'm going to raise Kakarot as a part of Lady Aise's contingent." 

"Then go now... there isn't much time." 

Taanipu and Videl blinked, turning around to see a bloodied Bardock, his battle jacket cracked and his undersuit in tatters. "... you're in danger... everyone on planet Vegeta... in danger..." 

"What?!" Taanipu rushed towards her lifemate, visible concern on her face. "Bardock, it's good that you survived but you're still badly hurt! We have to get you to a regen chamber--" 

"There's no time, Taanipu... listen... my crew were ambushed by Dodoria and his elites.. when I got to planet Meet it was too late..." 

"..." Videl remembered the huge pink spiky alien monster to whom Bardock spoke of... she had seen Dodoria, one of Frieza's right-hand men, twice in her year on planet Vegeta. She never did like him before, but now her hatred of Dodoria was building even more rapidly. "... he killed Celipa... I-I'll..." 

"I _SAID_ there's no time!" snapped Bardock. "Frieza's coming!! He's going to destroy planet Vegeta and kill every Saiyan here!!" 

Taanipu gasped as Videl's eyes went wide. "... no..." Taanipu whispered. 

"Taanipu, take Kakarot and get on Aise's ship. I'll try to stall Frieza as best I can." 

"No, Bardock..." Taanipu shook her head. "You can't take Frieza on by yourself!" 

"I know..." Bardock approached Taanipu, leaning down to kiss her passionately. And Taanipu kissed back, her tears falling anew. He then looked down at the sleeping Kakarot. "Raise him well, Taanipu. Make him a great Saiyan warrior." 

"I'll do my best..." Taanipu vowed. "... I love you, Bardock." 

Bardock nodded softly. "I love you too, Taanipu. Now go." 

Taanipu nodded, and took to the air with Kakarot clutched to her bosom. Videl jumped up, intending to follow her-- 

"Videl, wait." 

--but she stopped, turning around to face Bardock as she landed. "What?" 

"I know how to get you home. Back to your time," revealed Bardock. "But you must trust me, Videl. What I'm going to say is very farfetched, but it's true." 

"I'm listening..." Videl waited. 

"When we were on planet Kanassa something happened to me..." explained Bardock. "... I can see the future, Videl... don't ask me how, but I can. I saw Frieza destroying planet Vegeta... and I saw you. And your friends. Teena, Chi-Chi, Ran Fuan, and the others... they're worried about you... that you'll never wake up. But I overheard what was said... how to bring you back to your true time." 

"... H-how?" 

"You must die in _THIS_ time." 

"..." Videl blinked twice, and took a step back from Bardock. "... w... w-what...?!!" 

"Think about it. It makes sense!" Bardock rationalized. "A year ago we killed your friends, Videl. Remember? Their bodies disappeared... their spirits returned to your present, in their true bodies. Videl... you must die in order to truly live... but I'd rather not have your life here end in the destruction of my world." Bardock's eyes narrowed. "Let me be merciful, Videl. I promise it'll be quick." 

"..." Videl lowered her head, trembling in fear but staying her ground as Bardock approached her. She knew Bardock had to be right about it all, but the fear of certain death, especially for a twelve year old like Videl, was still beginning to creep through her soul. "... B... Bardock...?" she whispered, shutting her eyes tight. "... tell Celipa... thanks. For everything..." 

"... I will..." Bardock answered. And Bardock acted swiftly, thrusting his arms out, catching Videl's head between them, twisting her neck instantly. Videl gasped, feeling her neck snap... a sudden pain that ended just as quick as her body went limp. Bardock caught her falling body, gently lowering her lifeless form to the ground, and watched as it faded from existence, disappearing completely and leaving behind the undersuit and battle jacket that she wore. 

"... all right..." Bardock glanced up at the sky, sensing the impending danger loom everso nearer. And Bardock remembered the impending future... planet Vegeta shattering under his feet, his body vaporizing with his home world. 

"I... I will..." Bardock clenched his fists, rising determination within him as he glared upward. "... change that future!" 

Bardock dropped down into a three-point stance, and immediately rocketed off into the sky, flying headlong into a destiny he knew was coming. But like the Saiyan he was he would welcome the challenge of fighting it, to the very last. 

--- 

Videl's eyes opened wide, sitting up a split second afterwards with a startled gasp. 

"Videl... VIDEL!!" she was suddenly hugged tightly by a familiar violet-tressed woman she hadn't seen in a year. "YOU DID IT! YOU WOKE UP!!!" 

"... hey..." Videl giggled softly, hugging Ran Fuan back. "... guess I missed it, huh?" 

"Missed what, kiddo?" Ran Fuan asked. 

"The big fight... we're all here still so I guess we won, right?" 

"Oh, you mean you..." Ran Fuan chuckled lightly, shaking her head. "You were only out for a month, give or take a couple weeks. Saiyans haven't come yet. We're still training, waiting for Teena to show." 

"... oh..." Videl blinked, turning her head away. 

"How long were you there, Videl?" 

"A year." 

"Icky. A year with the Saiyans? That's like the ninth level of suck, right?" 

"Not really... go get the others. I'll tell you all what happened, and what I found out." 

"Okay..." Ran Fuan stood up, then reached over to ruffle Videl's hair. "Good to have you back, kid." 

"It's good to be back..." Videl replied with a smile. But as Ran Fuan left the room, Videl's smile faded as she sighed, drawing her knees to her chest and lowering her head, eyes closing as tears fell once more, slipping into a state of mourning for her mentor and friend... someone who had died a long time ago, but whose death was still fresh in Videl's soul. 

_... Celipa..._

-- TO BE CONTINUED.


	6. School

A day had passed since Videl woke from her month long coma. And she was back to training, preparing for the approaching battle with the Saiyans, Nappa and Vegeta. And as she sparred with Yamcha, holding her own against the former bandit, the others watched on with a degree of awe in the young girl's skills.

"Amazing...!" Krillin remarked. "You'd think, after being out for a whole month she'd lose a step or two."

"But she hasn't..." stated Tein. "On the contrary, she's gained a lot more ground. I'd dare to say that perhaps, she's approached a level of strength that will more than hold her own against the Saiyans."

"Hard to believe, though..." Chi-Chi reflected. "... a Saiyan would actually train Videl... and offer to help us fight her own kind. This Celipa was a remarkable woman."

"It just goes to show..." Chiaotzu said. "No matter where you go, you cannot have evil without good."

"KAMEHAMEHA!!!" Yamcha fired the powerful energy blast at Videl, who jumped back and gathered her own energies--

"LION ROAR!!!"

--and fired her own tremendous ki blast, blocking Yamcha's Kamehameha Wave and pitting the two of them in a dangerous game of tug-of-war, not to mention impressing her friends.

"Celipa's taught Videl well..." Ran Fuan observed. "She's never been able to do _THAT_ before."

"I remember when all she could muster were short-ranged ki blasts..." Tein reminisced. "She's certainly changed in such a short time."

"For us it's short... remember, she's been training for a whole year in the past..." Chi-Chi watched on with a smile, as Videl's Lion Roar dissipated along with Yamcha's Kamehameha Wave, and she charged forward, landing lightning fast punches and kicks as Yamcha did his best to block them all.

"... we may actually win this one..." she added confidently.

**THE 18TH**  
"School"  
By  
Ken Blackwell & Chris Waters

  
  
Two months later.

Teena continued along Snake Way, flying her fastest speeds with determination etched on her face, the nightmare with Jadoshin lingering in memory. _Okay..._ she surmised. _Judging by my calculations... I _SHOULD_ reach the end of this god awful road. Right. About._

"NOW!" Teena skidded to a halt, dust kicking up in her wake, and a smile stretched across her face as she saw what she had been waiting for for over four months.

"The tail. End of the line. I did it!" she praised herself. Then hesitated as she stared out into the emptiness of the pinkish sky before her. "... okay. _NOW_ what?"

Teena looked around for any signs, anything even remotely resembling any kind of residence. But there was nothing. No house, no door, no planet, no anything.

"... crap." Teena dropped down to her knees, sighing deeply. "... well... at least I know what to do the next time I want to waste four months of my life... dammit." She struck the tail end of Snake Way, thoroughly disappointed. "I came all this way for NOTHING!! I mean... C'MON HERE!!" she shouted outward. "How the hell am I supposed to meet this King Kai guy at the end of Snake Way if he doesn't even _EXIST?!!_ How am I gonna get the training I need to save my world?! Huh?!!" Teena sighed deeply, lowering her head. "... talking to myself again..."

As Teena got to her feet, she failed to realize a glow above her head. Through the cosmic dust in the sky above, something began to gather together, forming into a spherical shape. Then the glow faded, leaving Teena in a shadow. She blinked, then looked up, seeing a small planetoid above her. "... whoa... okay, that wasn't... that wasn't there before..." She picked up her duffle bag up over her shoulder, eyes still focused on the planetoid. "... well... oh, the hell with it. This has GOTTA be it..." Taking a step back, Teena jumped towards the planetoid, flying directly at it. And all seemed normal for her as she flew towards it, until she got close enough. Then she suddenly gathered unneeded speed, getting pulled down and diving against her will like a stone towards the planetoid.

"H--whuh--?!" A supreme feat of will was enough to force Teena to land on her feet instead of her face, but was still forced to one knee. "W-what the hell--?!" she gasped. "... gravity's... the gravity here is... off-kilter?!" She slowly got back to both feet. "... that... doesn't make sense! This world is too small for... such a high gravity!!" As she contemplated the physics-defying phenomenon, an apple fell from a nearby tree, plummeting like an anvil straight towards Teena's head. She turned to catch it, and the force of the apple falling forced her to fall sideways, the apple's weight driving her down.

"AH--!! Dammit--!!" Painfully Teena pulled her hand from the apple, falling to her backside. "What is this, Bizarro World? There's no way a planet this small can have so much gravity!"

"Oook?" An animal noise suddenly sounded by Teena's head, as a small shadow loomed over her. She blinked, then turned around, facing a brown-furred chimpanzee-like animal behind her.

"..." Teena blinked once more, and slowly got down to her hands and knees. "... a monkey..." It jumped a bit in front of Teena, ooking curiously at her, and she gave pause, quickly noting that it was unaffected by the gravity. "... okay. It's a small world here so you must know. I'm here to see the Lord of Worlds. King Kai. Can you understand me?" She slowly stood up to her feet. "... or am I wasting my time again? As usual. Seems to be today's theme right now..."

The monkey ooked a bit more, then held its hands up, looking at her.

"..." Teena sighed, shaking her head. Then turned to see a dome-shaped house nearby. "Of course. It's the only house here. God, I'm a moron." Slowly, she made her way towards the house, the gravity still hindering her movements.

"Well, there's one good thing about you..." a new voice came from the house. "At least you're smarter than my last student."

Teena paused, watching a rotund, blue-skinned creature, in a black robe, a Japanese Kanji prominent on the chest, antennae sticking from his head and glasses framing his face, exit the house, standing before Teena with his hands behind him. "... you must be King Kai..." Teena remarked. "You look kingish enough."

"Except when upset. Then... I'm a King Crab!" King Kai smiled, then chuckled at his own joke.

"..." Teena cocked her head. "... uh... okay."

"... why do I always get the unfunny ones?" King Kai asked himself, looking upset as he shook his head.

"Uh... sorry, It's been a pretty boring four months flying across Snake Way," Teena explained. "I've been talking to myself for so long the voices in my head think I have mental problems."

King Kai blinked, and started to chuckle at Teena's statement. He then stopped, realizing what Teena had said. "Only four months?" He turned around, pulling something from his robe, keeping it hidden from Teena.

"Yeah..." she nodded. "I really didn't need to rest so I just flew here as fast as I could."

"Hang on a second..." King Kai interrupted. "Let's see... carry the four, divide by 2... wow, you beat the old record!"

"Yeah... Baba Uranai said there was one guy who got here in six months..." Teena struggled a little to keep standing. "Hey... what's up with this world? Gravity's set on 'high.'"

"Well you see... the planet rotates at a much faster rate than Earth would," King Kai began to explain. "Add to that the smaller size of the planet, and the gravity is much higher than Earth's. Bubbles and I are both used to it after living here for so long."

"... uh..." Teena cocked her head. "... Afterlife physics, I guess. Mercury's the same way and the gravity's a third less than on Earth." She shook her head. "Well, enough of the physics lesson. King Kai, I humbly ask to be trained by you."

"Hmm... a tall order to ask for, yes. I have trained many, but you're the first female I will have trained, just so you know. However..." King Kai paused, turning to look out at the sky, deep in thought.

"Uh, yes?" Teena asked politely. "... if there's anything I need to do in order to receive the necessary training I'm willing to--"

"I do have one requirement for training," King Kai replied, a smile on his face. "You must make me laugh. And make me laugh hard."

"That's it?" Teena blinked. "That's kind of... well... okay, I'll give it a shot. Let's see..." Teena furrowed her brow for a moment, then smiled. "Okay. I think I got one."

King Kai turned to face Teena. "Well, go on."

"Okay..." Teena brushed her hair back, and began her joke. "One day I dialed a wrong number, the other person said, 'Hello?' And I said 'Hello, could I speak to Joey?' They said, 'Uh, I don't think so, he's only two months old.' And I said, 'I'll wait.'"

King Kai blinked, then quickly moved his hands to his mouth as he snickered. It built up even more, and the Lord of Worlds couldn't contain it any longer as he fell onto his back and laughed out loud. Teena smiled in self-approval, placing her hands on her hips. "So then..." she replied, walking over to help King Kai up. "What's the verdict, sir?"

King Kai took some deep breaths before nodding. "Whoo... you're good!" he exclaimed. "A nice dry wit... subtle yet powerful sense of humor you have there, child! And when I'm done, you'll be the most famous comedienne in the entire galaxy!!"

"... Uh, I'm flattered... but I actually came here for some combat training..." Teena admitted. "Got a little problem with uninvited guests and I have to deal with them before they show up in eight months."

"Huh. OOOH, right. The Saiyans..." King Kai recalled, then shook his head. "Second time I made _THAT_ mistake. Guess dying and being reborn hurts the memory."

"You know about the Saiyans already... good. That saves me the trouble of telling the whole story then..." Teena sat down with a loud thud. "Long story short... eight months, they show up, Earth go pop. That is, unless my friends and I can beat them."

King Kai nodded sagely. "Just like the last one here. All righty then. Let's see how you're doing. I want to see how high you can jump. Go on... give it your best."

"Jump? In this bass-ackwards gravity? Well, okay..." Teena slowly got back to her feet, dropping to a three-point stance. Then pushed herself off as hard as she could go, managing to cover 20 feet straight up before falling back down, making an indentation of the ground on her hands and knees as she hit. "Ow--!!"

"Hmm... 10 feet less than my last student. Still, not _TOO_ bad," King Kai noted. "This will be a lot harder for the training."

"I'm ready..." Teena stood up with some degree of difficulty. "Whatever I need to do, sir, I'll be ready for it."

"All right then. Oh, first thing's first... are your clothes weighted?" queried King Kai.

"Weighted? Not really..." Teena replied. "I know Roshi's students wear them and that makes them as strong as they are. But then I never needed them. I've always been this strong. Well... as far back as I can remember, anyhow."

"Well, for the proper training, you're going to have to get stronger than you ever have before." With that, he touched Teena's clothing, and she gasped, stooping over with her eyes wide.

"A-ACK! My clothes--!!" she exclaimed, to which King Kai merely smirked.

"For this exercise you're going to have to get used to them like that," he explained, looking over his shoulder. "Bubbles, it's playtime!" And on command, the monkey ran up towards King Kai and Teena.

"... Okay..." Teena took a few deep breaths, and slowly stood upright, still struggling. "... let me guess... catch the monkey?" she joked.

"Exactly! You have to try to catch Bubbles while still in this gravity!"

"... you're serious..." Teena blinked, looking to Bubbles. "... okay... that shouldn't be too hard. I don't think. Maybe..." she stretched her arms as best she could, then hesitated. "... okay. Catch the monkey. Really. Just, catch the monkey."

"Oh, come now... don't go... _APE_... about this!" King Kai laughed as Bubbles skipped easily in the high gravity.

"... Uh, yeah okay..." Teena cocked her head. "Is this one of those Zen things Roshi teaches? Like 'wax on, wax off' stuff?"

King Kai shook his head. "You do want to beat the Saiyans, correct?"

"Yeah. Of course I do."

"Well, you might want to know that the gravity of my planet is equal to the old Saiyan homeworld. And Saiyan body armor also doubles as weighted clothing like yours is now. So, for you to be at _LEAST_ equal to a Saiyan Elite in strength, you must live in the conditions of one."

"Oh... I get it..." Teena nodded. "'Know thy enemy, know thyself.' Sun Tzu, the Art of War."

"Precisely! Now, go on... Bubbles is getting a good head start..." King Kai noted with a smile, as Bubbles was already a good 25 feet away from Teena's position.

"..." Teena looked back towards Bubbles. "... crap." And she moved after him, almost stumbling to her knees as she lumbered forward after the monkey. "Urghh... that's it... I'm going on a diet... urgh... not that... It'd make a difference..."

King Kai smirked, walking towards his house. "Maybe a nap will do me good..."

---

Videl was resting after a long session, sparring with Ran Fuan and Chi-Chi; the two women took the younger on in a two-on-one confrontation that Videl had easily held her own in.

"... I can't believe how so much better you've gotten, Videl..." Ran Fuan said as she rubbed her sore shoulder.

"Yes, indeed..." nodded Chi-Chi. "It's almost hard to believe you're the daughter of Mr. Satan."

"Well... dad's still a great fighter..." Videl said. "But I know he can't compare to Teena... or Nappa and Vegeta, for that matter. I saw so much while I was in the past. I know, more than ever, what's at stake. That's why--"

"Videl..." Mr. Popo approached the three women as he spoke. "Kami wishes to speak to you, alone. If you would be so kind..."

"Huh? Well, okay..." Videl rose to her feet, looking back at Ran Fuan and Chi-Chi. "I'll be right back!" she chirped with a cute smile.

As Videl followed Mr. Popo to Kami's chambers she had a growing suspicion that, perhaps, this was about her improved skills she received from Celipa. Sure enough, as she stood to face the Guardian of the Earth, her suspicions proved correct, as he spoke to her.

"You have surpassed your friends," he said to Videl. "In this, you have also surpassed me. There is nothing more I or Mr. Popo can teach you."

"... I figured that's why you sent for me..." Videl said.

Kami nodded. "You may say your goodbyes to your friends, then return to the lower world and refine your skills until the final confrontation."

"... but it's not enough..." Videl retorted. "Kami sir, what I've learned still isn't enough! I know... the Saiyans, I've lived on their world for a year! I know all there is to know about them... and I know that the two Saiyans that're coming... Nappa and Vegeta... they're both... they're both insanely strong, Kami! I've seen them both in action! They were powerful then... and I can only imagine how strong they are now! I need _MORE_ training!"

"But what could I..." Kami paused, then smiled. "... Perhaps there _IS_ a way to further your training, Videl. But you will have to contemplate about it before deciding."

"What must I do?" asked Videl.

"Train with Piccolo."

"..." Videl paused, a look of shock in her eyes that quickly faded as she nodded. "Fine. Where is he?"

"Stop to consider this, first..." Kami advised. "Piccolo will not go easy on you at all. Training with him will be difficult. And very often, dangerous. And do you still wish to seek him out?"

"Yes," Videl replied without hesitation. "I'm sure he'll agree to it knowing the kind of danger Nappa and Vegeta both are."

"I pray you are right, child..." Kami sighed, then nodded. "I will tell you where Piccolo is."

Videl smiled. "Thank you, sir."

---

_Southeast... across the desert at the mountain range, nearby Fire Mountain..._ Videl recalled Kami's directions as she flew there. For her, it was roughly a four hour flight before she arrived at the untamed wilderness. Various creatures, including dinosaurs, roamed the area, and Videl avoided the obviously carnivorous ones not because she was afraid of becoming an appetizer to them, but rather because she wished to not waste any time on the fearsome creatures; she was busy looking for an even more fearsome creature, anyhow...

Videl was too young to remember the final battle between Teena and the Dai-Mao, the Demon King Piccolo, but was four years old when she watched the finals of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, the fight between Teena and King Piccolo's progeny, Piccolo Jr. Even then her father scoffed, saying it was all just flashy special effects, and being Daddy's Little Girl, she believed him. Now, with the fate of the entire Earth partly in Videl's hands, she knew better, and she knew what lengths had to be taken to protect her world.

She landed to the ground, cautious scanning the surrounding vicinity for Piccolo. _Where is he?_ Videl wondered. _C'mon, a green-skinned bald guy with antennae sticking out of his head can't be _THAT_ hard to find. Wait... that's right. I can sense ki if I concentrate. Remember what Kami and Mr. Popo taught you, girl..._

Videl closed her eyes, concentrating, letting herself feel around with her mind.

_Found him!_ Videl smiled. _He's... behind me--?!_ She turned around, opening her eyes to see the very emerald-hued warrior she had sought, standing right in front of her.

"You're a long way from home, girl..." Piccolo muttered, looking very intimidating as he towered over Videl. "Are you lost?"

"Hardly..." Videl answered, standing her ground. "I came here to seek you out, Piccolo."

"Hah! Why do something so foolhardy?"

"I want to be trained by you."

"... Really..." Piccolo crossed his arms as he smirked. "And why would I want to train a spoiled rich girl like yourself?"

"You were a part of Kami, right? So you'd know of the Room of Spirit and Time."

"I do. What of it?"

"Because of it, I was trapped in the past for a whole year on the Saiyan homeworld. I learned a lot there. About their strengths and weaknesses. Train me, and I'll share what I know about them to you."

"Intriguing offer..." Piccolo walked around Videl, observing her. "... you've already improved much since the last time I saw you, girl. You're almost as strong as I am..."

"It's not enough..." Videl stated. "Vegeta and Nappa... the Saiyans that're coming... they're extremely powerful. Stronger than me, you, Teena, everyone else put together! But we can get stronger if we train harder, together! It'll be a long shot but I know we can do it!"

Piccolo contemplated Videl's words, then hmphed with a smirk on his face. "You drive a hard bargain... Videl, is it? I respect your shrewdness and your resolve..." Piccolo furrowed his chin, then nodded. "Very well. I accept the offer, but it would be fair to warn you..." His eyes narrowed. "I am a harsh taskmaster, not as coddling as Eighteen or Kami. You will sleep, you will eat... and you will fight with me!"

"I expect no less..." Videl replied. "I'm not afraid."

"Oh, you should be..." Piccolo smiled evilly. "... and you _WILL_ be."

---

Twenty days later.

_Hm...this is interesting. She's progressing faster than Goku ever did. I might be able to teach her a lot more than I thought._ King Kai watched on as Teena continued to pursue Bubbles the Monkey on his planet, nodding, approving her rapid progress. Teena suddenly lunged forward with a yell, tackling Bubbles off his feet.

"F-FINALLY!!" Teena gasped, sitting up on her knees. "I caught him! I caught the monkey, King Kai!! N-now what?"

King Kai applauded. "Bravo, Teena! You did better than I ever thought you would have!" he stated. "Now, it's time for you to recover."

"Good idea..." Teena released Bubbles, and looked down at herself. "... I need a shower... twenty days of chasing a monkey in ten times Earth's gravity'll make ANYONE smell like a sweatsock..." 

King Kai nodded. "When you're ready, meet me back out here."

"Sure..." Teena pulled off her vest, then picked up her duffle bag. "... It's okay if I use your bathroom, right? Or is there a waterfall nearby, stashed away or something?" 

King Kai thought for a moment. "A waterfall... THAT'S what this place needs... but where to put it..." he pondered. "Oh, the shower's in the house." 

"Right... thanks." Teena smiled, and headed inside. Shortly thereafter King Kai could hear the sounds of a shower starting up. "Mnn..." Teena sighed softly. "Perfect. Nice and hot."

King Kai shook his head. "It's been a while since someone besides myself used that shower. Heck, my last student didn't even use it."

"Ick..." Teena muttered. "Not big on hygiene, that guy?"

"Well, he was dead anyway." King Kai replied. "No real need for a shower when you're not even alive."

"Right... I guess..." Teena said. "I keep forgetting this is the afterlife and I have a free pass through it..."

"Exactly. You're actually the first person I've trained that actually was, well, LIVING." King Kai added with a chuckle. 

"Not to mention the prettiest, I bet..." Teena added with a soft chuckle of her own.

"Hey, I'm a Kai, I don't think about such things!" Kai paused for a moment. "... But you're right about that." He then heard the shower turn off.

"Well... whether I'm pretty or not won't help my training..." Teena stated matter-of-factly. "I'll be out in a moment, just gonna get some clean clothes on..." 

"All right, I'll go get your next training partner," Kai said, and walked off towards a section of the planet, calling out a name. "GREGORY!"

"Gregory?" Teena stepped out, wearing only a white Capsule Corp T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans, her blonde hair no longer carrying its partial braid.

King Kai smirked, pointing off into the distance to a speck... a speck that sped right towards Teena, at high speeds. Teena blinked, and stepped back. "... wait a second..." she paused, getting a better look. "... oh, you gotta be kidding me." And the blur stopped right in front of Teena, revealing the figure be a small bug-like creature, floating in mid-air.

"Sorry I'm late, King Kai..." the bug said. "Had to fly from the other side of the Snake Way."

"Aah, I see. Tell me, are your arms tired?" King Kai asked, and began to chuckle. 

"Heh heh..." Teena smiled softly, turning away to roll her eyes, then turned back around to face the two otherworldly beings. "Okay... so I step up from small to smallest, here?" Teena looked over Gregory. "... What do I do with Atom Ant over here?"

"HEY! You better respect your elders, young... MMPH!" Gregory's mouth was quickly muffled by King Kai's hand. 

"This is a simple exercise," Kai explained. "You simply have to hit Gregory over the head."

"Uhm... okay..." Teena blinked. "Doesn't seem too hard."

"BUT... you can't do it with your hands. With THIS!" Kai continued, pulling out a large mallet. "Here... catch, Teena!" he tossed the mallet to Teena. And quickly she caught the hammer, nearly getting yanked off her bare feet from the heaviness of the object.

"Whoa--!" Teena gasped. "... damn--!"

King Kai smirked, and spoke in a 60's voice. "... that's really heavy, man..." then started to laugh at his own joke.

"Okay... let's see how long THIS takes me..." Teena hefted up the hammer over her shoulder, staring at Gregory. "It's not a can of Raid, but it'll do."

"Catch me if you can!" Gregory taunted, zooming off now for her to persue, and Teena jumped forward, then paused.

"Wait a second. Waaaaait a second..." she smiled. "... Pac-Man."

"Pac-Who?" King Kai asked, confused.

"Watch." And Teena ran the _OTHER_ way. And King Kai blinked, then smiled, nodding to himself. Meanwhile, Gregory smirked with a hint of confidence, looking behind him, believing Teena could not even hope to catch him.

_There you are..._ Teena readied the hammer, seeing Gregory in her sights. Teena shouted out as she swung the hammer at the bug, and unable to dodge the huge object in time, Gregory collided with the mallet, falling flat on his face to the ground.

"Chalk one up for old school video games!" Teena proclaimed as she raised the mallet up over head, then quickly brought it down before toppling over from its immense weight. "Gah-- stupid heavy..."

King Kai smiled widely. _Smart, strong...she may just surpass Goku in what I did to train him! The Kaio-ken, the Spirit Bomb... just how long will it take her to perfect the moves I taught Goku?_

"Okay..." Teena looked to King Kai. "What's next?"

King Kai smirked. "I think it's time we get the advanced moves going now." he stated, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm ready, then..." Teena said. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner I can head home and kick some Saiyan tail. Literally." Teena shrugged. "You know... with, with the tails and... y'know."

King Kai chuckled a bit. "Of course, Teena. Of course."

As Teena and King Kai left, Gregory still remained lying on the ground, a leg twitching every so often as he moaned.

"... i should've just stayed dead..." he whimpered.

---

Twenty-one more days later.

"... And that was pretty much it," Yamcha finished his accounts of his training on the Lookout; he and the others had returned from there, having completed the necessary training. And the first thing he did was return to Kame House and take a long-deserved shower, then recalled what had happened to Bulma, Master Roshi, Oolong, and Turtle.

"Well, I'm glad the training worked out for you, m'boy..." Roshi said.

"Yeah... I still need to make sure my skills are razor sharp, though..." Yamcha noted. "Hopefully it'll be enough, even after what Videl's said about the Saiyans."

"It's amazing that she went through all that..." Bulma reflected. "What a remarkable girl she is..."

"Oh... guys, where's Puar?" asked Yamcha. "I haven't seen her all day and I figured she'd be the first one to welcome me back..."

"Oh... well, uh..." Bulma hesitated, not sure how to explain what had happened while Yamcha was away.

"... Did something happen to her?" Yamcha questioned, growing concerned.

"Eeeeyah, you could say that..." Oolong answered. "A couple of _BIG_ somethings..." he chuckled lecherously, until Bulma bopped him on the head.

"She's gone through quite the dramatic change, Yamcha..." Roshi stated.

"What... kind of change?"

"... why don't you ask her?" Bulma replied, gesturing behind Yamcha.

Yamcha blinked, and turned to see a cute, petite cat-girl stand before him, dressed in a blue and tan top, white jean cut-offs, tasseled spats, and fingerless gloves, her very long grey hair tied in a triple ponytail, a familiar furred tail swayed to and fro behind her.

"... w... welcome home, Yamcha..." she greeted, her voice familiar yet different, a rose red blush to her cheeks.

"... Puar...?!" Yamcha blinked thrice in disbelief. "... what did you do to yourself?!"

"Cry-Baby Puar's all grown up!" Oolong chuckled. "In all the right spots, too! Yum!"

"Now's not the time, Oolong..." Roshi scolded.

"When is it _EVER_ a good time to be perverted?" Bulma sighed. "Uhm, maybe we should leave them be... I'm sure they have a lot to talk about..." Dragging Oolong off, she, Roshi, and Turtle left the living room of Kame House, leaving Puar and Yamcha alone.

"..." Yamcha looked over Puar's new appearance, then sighed softly. "... you... uhm... you look great, Puar."

Puar blushed a bit redder as she looked down at her feet, smiling shyly. "... t-thank you, Yamcha..."

"Why go through all this, though?" he asked. "... it's... permanent, isn't it?"

Puar nodded. "... yes... yes it is." She closed her eyes. "... and I did it. For you... so I can be useful to you again. Just like the old days."

"Puar, I don't see how being human..." Yamcha paused, noting Puar's cat-like ears and tail. "... humanish, at least... anyhow, I don't see--" Once more he hesitated as he watched Puar's body gloss over, becoming a gleaming chromium right before his eyes.

"Achieving this state's enhanced my shapeshifting powers..." she explained. "I can assume _ANY_ shape now... their forms, properties, strengths... Oolong may joke about how sexy I look now but inside he's so jealous..." Puar giggled, as she shifted back to flesh and blood. "He's right, in a way. 'Cry-Baby Puar' is indeed all grown up."

"But... how can you help me against the Saiyans, Puar?" queried Yamcha.

"I can protect you," Puar suggested. "I can take the form of your gi, and if something potentially harmful comes your way I'll shift to something impenetrable, like solid titanium--"

"Puar, no..." Yamcha shook his head. "I can't let you do that, Puar. It's too dangerous!"

"So... it's okay for you to put _YOUR_ life on the line, then?!" retorted Puar. "Yamcha, we've been through a lot together! How many times have we stuck our necks out for each other? Used our skills together to gain the extra foothold on our enemies? I know the Saiyans are powerful but I don't care, dammit! This is _MY_ world too, Yamcha! I have a right to help defend it and besides I--" she hesitated, choosing her next words carefully. "... if anything should happen to you... I'd just die..."

"..." Yamcha stopped to consider Puar's words. "... Puar... if anything should happen to _YOU_, I'd never be able to forgive myself. You've always been there for me, Puar. You're almost like a--"

"Stop right there..." Puar interrupted. "Don't even say it." Her voice suddenly sounded like perfect recreation of Yamcha as she continued. "'You're almost like a little sister to me.'" Puar shook her head adamantly as tears began to fall from her golden cat-like eyes, re-assuming her own voice. "That's what you were going to say, right?! Yamcha... dammit, I love you! From day one! Minute 1, _SECOND_ 1, I loved you!! And if you said those words I swear I... I-I would drop dead! From a broken heart, right where I stand!!"

"..." Yamcha was dumbstruck, staring in disbelief at the love-stricken weeping cat-girl before him, utterly speechless.

"Yes, I want to be useful to you! Protect you, keep you safe but the whole other reason I changed species was because... I-I love you, Yamcha! As a cat I knew I would have no chance in hell but... but as this..." Puar gestured down at herself. "I risked almost certain death undergoing the transformation from cat to humanoid for you, Yamcha. I would risk so much more for you... my life, my very soul if I had to... but..." Puar turned away with a sigh, wiping her tears. "... you probably still love Bulma, don't you... it's too late for me to even try..."

"... Puar, I..." Yamcha lowered his head. "... to be truthful, I don't know. About Bulma and myself. We both thought we'd be perfect together but... we're so different... and she can be so possessive at times. I even look at another pretty girl and she'd go off on me... and if a girl looked at me, same result..."

"You can't help that, Yamcha..." Puar explained. "It's human nature. Being someone who's spent most of her life as a non-human, watching how humans act, I know better than anyone. I mean... if we were together, it'd be a 'look but don't touch' deal... other girls'd be happy to ogle you, that's fine... if you want to look at other pretty girls I'd have no problems with it, in fact I may even agree with you in your assessment."

"But in either case, no touching."

"Right!" Puar smiled. "You see... Bulma's a good person and all... but she doesn't trust you. And isn't trust important in any relationship?"

"... yes, it is..." answered Yamcha.

Puar nodded solemnly, and floated over towards Yamcha, her face close to his as she reached over to touch his face, her fingers tracing along the scar on his left cheek. "And Yamcha... I've _ALWAYS_ trusted you."

And Puar leaned in closer, closing her eyes as her lips brushed against Yamcha's in a tender kiss.

"I've always loved you," Puar concluded with a soft, innocent smile as she pulled back from the astonished, confused Yamcha, who touched his own lips, watching Puar fly out of an open window.

And in the next room, Bulma switched off her cell phone, having planted another one in the room Puar and Yamcha were in. She had overheard everything. And she didn't know how to feel.

Betrayed.

Heartbroken.

Angry.

Anguished.

Vindicated.

But perhaps, she realized, as her tears fell freely from her eyes, what hurt most of all, was that Puar was _RIGHT._ She never _DID_ trust Yamcha. And if she did lose him, the only person she would blame would be herself.

"... I'm such an idiot..." Bulma muttered softly.

---

Meanwhile...

Mai Suimono had decided. As she practiced diligently in Capsule Corp's training grounds, wearing the Weapon Battlesuit Version 1.0 and growing more and more accustomed to it as the months went by, she had decided that she would help Teena. She would help fight the Saiyans.

But in the back of her mind, she was scared. Who wouldn't be, facing off against such foes as the Saiyans? Being Weapon may not be enough. The on-board weaponry, the ki-enhancing circuitry, the photographic reflexes and built-in fighting skills.

It could all be useless.

And Mai could die. A very horrible, violent, gory death, as far as she could imagine. And unluckily for her, her imagination was quite vivid.

A part of her wondered if she should've stayed with Emperor Pilaf. But she put that wondering to rest, rationalizing that even if she did remain Pilaf's lackey, it wouldn't matter if the Saiyans won. Everyone on Earth would still die.

Besides, regardless of the fear in her heart, Mai saw this as a chance to prove to herself that she wasn't just a useless expendable extra. That she wasn't just a comedic flunky here to amuse.

She was a soldier. A fighter. Now with the adequate means to fight. No more cowering. Kowtowing. Crying.

"PHOTON WAVE!!" Mai fired off the energy blast at a target, and quickly followed it as panels opened up in her gauntlets, manifesting scythe-like blades of light. The Photon Wave stopped abruptly in front of its target, and Mai slashed the energy blast, creating a huge explosion and destroying the target, nearly the whole training grounds itself as well. And as the Weapon Battlesuit's shields held up, Mai smiled approvingly.

"I'm ready," she said with a tone of confidence that almost surprised her. "I'm _SO_ ready.

---

Later that night.

Camp had been set up as Videl and Piccolo rested for the night after a brutal training session; Videl's clothes were slightly torn, her body bruised and scuffed. Piccolo himself didn't fare too well either, his clothes slightly worn, with bruises of his own.

"You've done well, Videl..." Piccolo complimented. "You've matched me blow for blow. I don't impress easily, girl... but even I must acknowledge your skill."

"You've gotten better too, Piccolo..." Videl replied. "If we keep this up we may just stand a chance against Nappa and Vegeta." She hesitated before asking Piccolo. "If we get through this... things'll go back to what they were, won't they?"

"... Eighteen is still my enemy..." Piccolo answered flatly. "If we can beat the Saiyans, it will be her turn next."

"It doesn't have to be that way, though..." Videl said. "I mean... compared to King Piccolo, you're... well, better... not as bad... evil, y'know?"

"... hmph..." Piccolo lowered his head.

"Everyone's scared of you, sure..." Videl continued. "But... once you get to know the real Piccolo it actually all begins to make sense..."

"..." Piccolo glared at Videl. "Shut up and go to sleep!" he shouted. "I will not make tomorrow as easy as today!"

Videl blinked at Piccolo's sudden abrasiveness, then merely smiled as she realized she reached something within the emerald warrior. "Yes sir..." she replied, then curled up into a ball as she lay on her side, drifting off to sleep.

"... little brat...!" Piccolo muttered under his breath.

---

Three months later.

"Well Teena, I must say you have impressed me with your dedication and skill." King Kai noted with a smile, as he looked to the now much stronger cybernetic heroine. "You have done so well in these nine months, that even _I'M_ amazed by your level of skill."

Teena smiled softly; her clothes were slightly ragged from the excessive training, her hair slightly mussed up and her skin scuffed up, but it all that didn't hide the fact that she looked and felt remarkably different. "Let's just say, when it comes to my people and my world, I'll do everything I can to protect both."

King Kai nodded solemnly. "Though, you're going to need some new clothing. Unless you're hoping that the Saiyans find you too attractive to kill." he finished with a chuckle in his voice. 

"I should be so lucky..." Teena said. "I still got three more months though. I'll just further refine the Kaio-Ken just in case and then I--" 

King Kai suddenly stiffened, his antennae sticking straight up. "Oh no... this is _NOT_ good!" 

"... what isn't?" Teena asked. "... it's the Saiyans, isn't it?" 

"Their ships must be faster in your dimension. They're just about to land on Earth!" King Kai shook his head. "This is _VERY_ bad!" 

"..." Teena's eyes narrowed. "... how much time left?" 

"One more week..." King Kai calculated. "Then, they'll be on Earth."

"... crap." Teena sighed. "Okay, do you know where they're gonna land?"

"Can't tell, they're still too far away... if they were a little closer to Earth I could calculate that. However..." King Kai smiled. "I can get you help..."

"How?"

"Put a hand on my shoulder, and I'll let you telepathically communicate with someone."

"No kidding... okay, worth a shot..." Teena placed a hand on Kai's shoulder, and closed her eyes. _Bulma..._

"GAH!" Bulma gasped out, startled by the sudden occurrence within her head. "What... what the?"

_Relax... it's me, Teena..._ she replied telepathically. _Making an extremely extra long distance phone call over at the afterlife... uh, I didn't catch you at a bad time, did I?_

"Kinda...I was...um...powdering my nose." Bulma replied, blushing red as she sat on the toilet, crossing her legs a little.

_... oh..._ Teena sighed. "Great. Now I feel like a telemarketer. Thanks, King Kai." 

"Hey, I didn't choose WHO to call." King Kai reminded. 

Teena sighed softly. _Sorry about the inconvenience, Bulma.. but I got some urgent news. Got a news flash about the Saiyans. They're gonna be arriving to Earth in one week!_

"One week!?" Bulma exclaimed in shock. "Any idea where they're going to land at?"

_No clue. That's why I'm calling you, girl. Can you check the satellites and super-genius your way to a prediction for me?_

"Of course...just give me a second..." Bulma stood up, quickly flushing the toilet and pulling her pants back up. "... you can't see me, can you?"

_No, just hear.._ Teena sighed softly. _Sorry about Big Brothering you like this, Bulma... I'll make it up to you when this is over._

"It's OK. At least it was you and not bacon boy." Bulma said, as she entered her room and switched on her laptop computer. "Now let's see what we have here..." Accessing the schematics for the surveillance satellites that Bulma had set up for the Saiyans' arrival, she pointed and clicked at the latest photo imagery. "... GOT IT! They'll be in East City within the week!"

_Are the S.A.F.E. Houses up and running?_

"Well... kinda..."

_What do you mean, kinda?_

"Well, they're up...but they haven't been tested yet." Bulma explained. "Remember you said you were going to test them..."

_Crap, yeah..._ Teena sighed. "I forgot... I spent all this time refining the Kaio-Ken it slipped my mind..." she said to King Kai. "Not as perfect as everyone thinks, I guess."

King Kai shook his head. "How come it's always _SOMETHING_ with someone I train?"

"I'd try to get someone to test them, but I can't find any of the others," Bulma explained.

_We'll have to wing it, then..._ Teena thought to Bulma. _Get everyone in East City into the S.A.F.E. House, and everyone else to the others too just in case... I just hope they work when the Saiyans come. I'll fly over there as fast as I can, Bulma._

"OK. Good luck Teena!" Bulma replied, just before rushing out of her room to place a call to the King.

King Kai smirked. "Quite a remarkable girl, that one..."

"One of a kind, as far as I'm concerned." Teena pulled away from King Kai and grabbed her duffle bag. "Okay. Quick change into some new clothes and I'll be ready to go..."

King Kai smiled. "Please, allow me..." he added, and raised a glowing hand in front of her, concentrating, and Teena blinked, as her clothes suddenly mended and changed... her blue jeans, black T-shirt with white sleeves, brown buckled boots, and a new denim vest manifesting about her body.

"... whoa..." Teena blinked, looking down at her new clothing. "Neat trick..." she smirked, noting the Kaio-Sama Kanji on the left breast pocket of the vest. "Complete with the brand label too, I see." 

"I decided to do a reverse style with you than my last student. He had his symbol on the chest area, and mine on the back." King Kai stated. "Glad you like my... HAND... iwork." he added, then started chuckling again. 

"..." Teena blinked. "Eeyah, well..." Picking up her duffle bag, Teena looked up towards Snake Way. "... let's see, if I use the Kaio-Ken while flying across Snake Way it should take me... roughly a day to get back to Earth. Good. Plenty enough time to rally the gang and prepare." 

King Kai nodded. "You know, I just hope that your power truly IS unlimited, Teena. The Kaio-Ken is very powerful, so it may even wear _YOU_ out if you're not careful." 

"I managed it easily so far... don't worry..." Teena smiled at King Kai. "I'm not going to end up doing myself. I should've phrased that differently." Teena sweatdropped as she blushed a little. 

King Kai nodded. "I better not hold you up then. Go on, go save the world!" 

"In my mind, it's already saved. Thanks, King Kai... if I see you again... odds are I probably blew it." She saluted, then turned around, rocketing upward towards Snake Way.

King Kai nodded softly. "If we're lucky, no one will have to be wished back..."

Teena stood upon the tail of Snake Way, eyes focused towards the horizon as she took a deep breath. Then spoke a single word.

"Kaio-Ken."

Teena threw her head back, feeling the insurgence of power ripple through her body. Shivering softly from the power reverberating, she lowered her head back down, opening her eyes as she smiled.

"Time to hit warp speed," Teena remarked, and like a shot, exploded off the tail, flying like the proverbial bat out of hell towards the Checkpoint. There would be no question that she would make it time.

But fate would remain whether everything she had learned would be enough to stem the tide against the Saiyan menace.

-- TO BE CONTINUED.


	7. Default Judgement Pt 1

November 3rd, 762 A.D.

11:42 AM.

East City.

"... it's true what they say, you know. That you always remember where you are when something huge happens."

"Oh?"

"Yeah... I remember when King Piccolo invaded World City, took the King hostage. I was there... we were all there, at Kame House. We were so scared when he declared anarchy... all hoping Teena would defeat him... er, no offense, Piccolo..."

"None taken, girl..."

"Piccolo, you should learn to be more specific. There's six of us estrogen carriers in the room. That one is Bulma."

"Hmph."

"City's pretty empty... really hope all the people'll be safe when the Saiyans show up."

"T-25 seconds to impact, gang!"

"Thanks, Bulma... okay, guys. It's gonna be crunch time any second now... either we crunch them or they crunch us. But if we play our cards right we may just pull off the 'W.'"

"T-10 and counting!"

"Just remember! Their tails aren't their weakness, they're stronger than Raditz--!"

"We'll remember that, Videl."

"THEY'RE HERE!!"

11:43 AM, and it happened at last. As Teena and her friends... Bulma, Mai (in her Weapon Battlesuit), Ran Fuan, Chi-Chi, Videl, Tein, Chiaotzu, Yamcha, and Krillin, as well as temporary ally Piccolo, watched on at the Capsule Corp building in West City through closed-circuit surveillance cameras in East City, and two spherical spacecraft shot down from the sky, impacting with all the force of meteors, causing huge craters in the street.

"So... they've come at last..." Piccolo muttered.

Teena's eyes narrowed, watching one of them exit the pod, a man standing roughly five feet ten inches, clad in a blue bodysuit and white armor, large spiky hair standing straight up on his head, flanked shortly thereafter by a seven foot tall bald man with a Fu Manchu moustache, clad in black armor. Both with the telltale monkey-like tails around their waists.

"The big one is Nappa..." Videl stated. "The small one is Vegeta. The Saiyan Prince."

"He's kinda cute..." remarked Bulma, to which she received odd stares from her allies at all sides. "What? He _IS_ cute! For a harbinger of death, that is..."

"The big guy's about to do someth--" Ran Fuan's sentence was cut short as Nappa made a simple gesture with his hand. And suddenly the cameras' transmission was disconnected. A second later the ground rumbled underneath, with a bright light, like a second sun, exploding off in the horizon, gusts of wind rushing from it.

"What the hell?!" Tein exclaimed. "What did they do?!!"

"Bulma!" shouted Teena.

"On it!" Bulma quickly sat down at her computer and began typing commands on her keyboard. "Switching to satellite cameras now!" A split second after hitting the "ENTER" key, the orbital satellites focused in on East City's position... or what _WAS_ its position; a smoking crater was all that remained of West City's sister metropolis.

"... oh my God..." Ran Fuan whispered. "... it's gone... just... gone..."

"Bulma, the S.A.F.E. House..." Teena asked, growing concerned.

"Checking..." Bulma switched camera interfaces, and a collective sigh of relief was felt through the room as the S.A.F.E. House cameras picked up East City's populace from within the underground confines. "They're okay... a little shaken up, but alive. Looks like the S.A.F.E. Houses are a success."

"Excellent work, Bulma..." Teena praised with a relieved smile. "You and the people on that project should be commended."

"It was nothing... just doing my part..." Bulma answered, a bit embarrassed by the praise but happy nonetheless.

"Now it's our turn to do our part!" Krillin proclaimed.

"Damn straight," Teena nodded. "Bulma, you'll be Big Brothering the fight scene."

"Gotcha. Launching the camera pods now!" Bulma prepared to type in the keystrokes, until Yamcha stopped her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Bulma, wait!" he said. "... They're moving...!"

"The Saiyans... they're coming! Straight at us!!" warned Piccolo.

"Their scouters!" Videl realized. "They can sense our energy levels with them!"

"Better head them off at the pass, then..." Teena turned about-face and headed out the door. "Let's get it started, gang!!"

Earth's mightiest warriors wasted little time in following Teena, one goal set firmly in their minds.

Survival. For Earth, and themselves.

**THE 18TH**  
"Default Judgement Pt. 1"  
By  
Ken Blackwell

  
  
"A shame that city didn't have any people!" Nappa boasted as he and Vegeta flew across the sky. "I wanted the pleasure of swatting the first insects of the conquest!"

"End it there, Nappa..." Vegeta advised. "You'll destroy the resale value of this dustball if you keep messing it up."

"Good point..." Nappa begrudgingly nodded. "Before we sell anything, we're going to find those balls that'll get us a wish granted!"

"Yes, the 'Dragon Balls' The one who killed Raditz will know where they are. Curious, though..." Vegeta smirked. "That city was clearly desolate. Which means..."

"They were expecting us...!" realized Nappa.

"I suspect the cyborg's hand in this. Going on about how she'll protect this world and its people so she's hidden them from us. A clever ploy, I'll give her that much. But as soon as we destroy her and whoever else foolish enough to confront us it shouldn't be a problem to search for the humans and exterminate them."

"Vegeta, my scouter's picking up nine readouts, heading straight for us!"

"Then let's land here, in this desert. We'll wait for them." Vegeta dropped down to the sandy ground below him, Nappa following close behind. "Ten of them are coming, Nappa. Remember, the cyborg's energy level is cloaked. Determining it is next to impossible."

"Making her quite the challenge, eh?" Nappa smirked.

"Quite..." Vegeta grinned. "I've never been this elated over a battle like this in such a long time... it will be _VERY_ satisfying killing this 'Eighteen!'"

---

_"Teena!"_ Bulma's voice sounded in the earpieces of the ten warriors' comm-links. _"I know this a huge bad timing thing, but we got a situation over at the World City S.A.F.E. House! As in the hostage kind!"_

"What?!" Teena exclaimed. "Oh, for the love of... can you give me a descript of the bad guys?"

_"Bad _GUY,_ singular! And that's the weird part... it's _KING PICCOLO!!"

All ten froze in the air upon hearing Bulma's revelation. "That's not possible!" Chi-Chi exclaimed. "... is it...?"

"Of course not..." Piccolo scoffed. _"I'M_ King Piccolo! Or rather, was."

"I gotta head there..." Teena sighed deeply. "I got a sinking feeling I know who it _REALLY_ is."

"But Teena, we need you for this fight!!" Tein retorted.

"I KNOW! Look, you guys go on ahead. Try to hold them off as best you can! I'll rejoin you all as quickly as possible!" And with that, Teena rocketed away from the group, heading towards World City.

"This is a waste of time we don't have...!" scowled Piccolo. Why is Eighteen DOING this?!"

"Because it's who she is, Piccolo..." Videl answered. "She's a hero. A protector. Sure, she could ignore the hostages and help fight the Saiyans with us... but then she wouldn't be Teena."

"..." Piccolo growled softly, then turned to fly towards the approaching Saiyans.

"We'll just have to manage without Teena for a while..." Yamcha said.

"I don't like how this feels, but we've no choice..." Chiaotzu replied.

"All right then, true believers..." Ran Fuan said. "Let's follow the green goblin!" The eight charged forward, following Piccolo, and Chi-Chi flew side-by-side Ran Fuan with a smirk.

"How long have you waited to say _THAT?!"_ she asked.

"Oh, couple of weeks..." Ran Fuan answered with a playful wink.

---

"Okay, Bulma... give me the 4-1-1 on the World City's S.A.F.E. House..." Teena said as she flew into the Earth's capitol.

_"Well, when we started on it, we decided to have the main entrance located at the King's Palace,"_ Bulma explained. _"Only the King and yours truly know the access codes to all the S.A.F.E. Houses. It's 5-4-1-9-5-5... I've already let security know you're on your way!"_

"Awesome! Thanks, Bulma!" Upon arriving at World City, Teena noted that it was as deserted as the the other cities... that was initially the plan, to keep innocents from serious danger by creating the S.A.F.E. Houses for shelter. But perhaps in the back of her mind, as Teena entered the King's palace, she know of certain parties who would love to take advantage of the state of emergency something like this would cause.

"Eighteen, ma'am..." Teena was greeted by a pair of security guards posted at the S.A.F.E. House entryway. "It's good that you're here, ma'am... the King and the entire populace of World City are in danger down there!"

"I know..." Teena confirmed, typing in the access code at the keypad next to the huge doors.

"... I thought you killed King Piccolo, though..." the other guard said.

"I did. It's not King Piccolo. It's someone even more worse." Teena watched as the doors slowly slid open. "You two stay here. I'll handle this on my own."

"Y-yes ma'am..." the first guard nodded.

Teena flew down the stairs, towards the freight elevator leading to the S.A.F.E. House, and choosing to not wait for the elevator to rise up to take her, jumped down the shaft, dropping like a stone thousands of miles down, slowing her descent once she reached the ground and touching down gently to her feet. From there she approached the doorway and quickly typed in the same access code. The door slid open, and Teena saw the familiar sight of King Piccolo himself... similar yet somewhat older looking than the Piccolo of today, complete with the "Mazoku" Kanji on his chest. Everyone was still alive, save for two security guards... one had a hole blasted through him while the other's head was sheared cleanly off his neck... two men... two families without husbands, or fathers or brothers...

Teena glared at the Demon King, and looked to the Earth's King, who was with his people, standing bravely in a show of protection, and she recalled why she respected him; he would give his all to see his people safe, no matter what.

Teena then looked back at King Piccolo. "Drop the charade," she demanded coldly.

King Piccolo grinned, and his body lost all its color, morphing to shining chrome and opening to reveal a cute alabaster-hued gothette clad in black leather, her liquid metal hair flowing back behind her. _[... i knew i could never fool you...]_

"I'm a little busy right now, Nineteen..." Teena said, growing annoyed. "You know... saving the world? What's your damage, huh? Why now?!"

_[... why, i'm hurt, 18th... i thought you'd want to play with me...]_ Nineteen cooed. _[... and it's such a fun fun game... something i like to call... let's see, what should i call it... oh, i know... LIFE VS. DEATH.]_

"I'm not in the mood to play games, Nineteen..." Teena protested.

_[... too bad... i am... and it's oh so simple to play, 18th... see, i'm going to start killing people here... and all you have to do is try to stop me! doesn't that sound like fun...?]_

Teena sighed softly. "Nineteen... I really don't have time for this so I'm just going to put an end to this by the time I say KAIO-KEN!!!" And Teena's power exploded once more to a heightened level; before Nineteen could react Teena charged forward and threw a back kick to the side of Nineteen cranium, knocking her forwards to the door, and then tackled her out the door and from the S.A.F.E. House. "YOUR MAJESTY! SHUT THE DOOR! QUICKLY!!"

The King nodded, and swiftly acted, typing in the access code on the keypad to shut the door, saving himself and his people. And Nineteen seethed at Teena, visibly irate.

_[... they were MINE to kill...!]_ she whined.

"You know, I really don't have time for you and your Little Miss Psychokill routine..." Teena said as she walked towards Nineteen. "Especially when I got two aliens on Earth about to turn all of humanity into one oversized Manwich. You can't get into the S.A.F.E. Houses anyway now, so I got no reason to open a can." She walked past Nineteen, concluding her rant. "Go home, Nineteen. I got bigger Bads to bash."

Teena flew up the elevator shaft, leaving Nineteen alone and isolated from her potential victims.

_[... no... i'm not through yet...]_ Nineteen suddenly shot upward, passing Teena, and her chromium hair lashed out, wrapping around Teena's neck, throwing her up into the air, through the palace's ceiling and the roof as Nineteen cackled gleefully. She then stopped, looking down to see the two security guards below her, looking up at Nineteen with shock. _[... oooo, toys...]_

"Oh, crap--!!" The second guard quickly pulled out his sidearm and began to fire at Nineteen, the first guard just as quick following his partner's actions. Nineteen's hair effortlessly deflected the bullets, ricocheting off the fluid alloy of her tresses. Her hair suddenly lashed out, catching the two guards and wrapping them up, mummy-style within its gleaming strands.

"NINETEEN!! NO!!!" Teena charged down towards Nineteen, who looked up at Teena with a cocked head, And with a wink, the mummy wraps suddenly compressed into small spheres, the sounds of bones crunching sickeningly audible.

_[... oops. toys broken...]_

"DAMN YOU!!!!" Teena screamed, and punched Nineteen through the wall, then followed her, hitting the bullet-time-like speed she was noted for, throwing punch after kick after punch at Nineteen, who ducked, dodged, and blocked every attack. Nineteen's fingernails suddenly elongated into claws, slashing at Teena seemingly wildly, but with such deadly precision that made Teena really concentrate on avoiding her attacks. But when noticing the look in Nineteen's eyes... actually focused, not wild and crazed as they would be under any given circumstance... she made a shocking realization.

_This isn't random... she's _PURPOSELY_ stalling me!_

Teena dodged another swipe from Nineteen's claws, and threw a side kick that sent her opposition barrelling away, colliding into a car, taking it with her as she crashed into a building. Not wasting any more time she twisted around to fly away with every intention to re-join her friends, but chrome tendrils abruptly shot out of the rubble, grabbing a hold of Teena's ankles and flinging her viciously against a building wall. Nineteen exploded from the rubble, a sick grin on her face as Teena rose to her feet.

_[... figuring things out again... oh, you're so smart, eighteen...]_ Nineteen cocked her head. _[... but i wonder just how smart you are...]_

Teena grit her teeth in anger, and was about to charge at Nineteen once again until she caught a glint of light from a single strand of liquid metal hair, and she stopped herself in time, noticing that the whole city was now intertwined in Nineteen's hair.

_[... yes, very smart...]_ Nineteen grinned, kicking a stone into the air into one of her strands, and the rock was neatly sliced in two. _[... moving from that spot would result in such a pretty pretty mess...]_ she giggled sadistically.

"Why're you doing this?!" demanded Teena.

_[... father wants to see what the aliens are all about... don't worry, you'll make it in time to save the world... but who's to say how many of your friends must die before them... hm?]_

And Nineteen laughed demonically, as all Teena could do was stand impatiently, her heart hurting as she was imprisoned by the psychotic cyborg's deadly tresses.

---

_"... bad news, gang!"_ Bulma reported to the Earth's warriors still on-route towards the Saiyans. _"Turns out 'King Piccolo' was really Nineteen! She's keeping Teena from joining you guys in time!"_

"Nineteen?!" queried Piccolo. "Someone related to Eighteen?"

"Sort of... kind of like a cousin of sorts," Ran Fuan explained. "None of us have ever seen her but Teena's told us about her... borderline psycho, liquid metal hair... we're talking straight-up Clive Barkerness here!"

"Or Stephen Kingish," added Videl.

"Whatever..." grumbled Piccolo, not understanding the authorial euphemisms thrown about. "It just proves my point. She should never have left for such a fool's errand."

"I'll go rescue Teena..." Chi-Chi volunteered, but paused when Tein shook his head.

"We need all the help we can get over here!" he stated. "Besides, what if you fail and get diced to pieces by that psychopath?! You already died once, remember? We can't bring you back twice!"

"..." Chi-Chi dejectedly sighed, then nodded in reluctant agreement.

"We're getting close..." Krillin dreaded. "Man, I can feel their chi... l-like a demonic aura...!"

"There they are..." Ran Fuan spotted Nappa and Vegeta, and the Earth's chosen landed to the ground, facing the two Saiyans. An unsettling silence crept about the desert... all wildlife had already fled, sensing the impending violence.

"Let's make this clear..." Piccolo was the first to break the silence first. "What exactly do you want here?!"

"Ah, that voice..." Vegeta recognized. "It was you who helped kill Raditz, wasn't it?"

Piccolo smirked. "My reputation proceeds me, I see."

"He's a Namekian..." Nappa noted.

"Looks like it..." agreed Vegeta. "Not so strange that Raditz was beaten, then."

Piccolo blinked. "... Namekian...?"

"... Piccolo... y-you're an alien too...?!" Krillin exclaimed.

"... that explains a whole helluva lot..." muttered Ran Fuan.

"They say these slimy Namek gastropods possess strange powers even beyond their extraordinary fighting abilities, even sorcery..." revealed Vegeta. "You're the one who made those Dragon Balls, weren't you?"

"Just as Teena told us..." Chi-Chi said. "They DO know about the Dragon Balls.

"Why else would we bother with this dump?!" bellowed Nappa. "Hand them over! Bring on all the Namekians you can find, they're just slugs to us!!"

"Heh..." Piccolo smirked. "Thanks to you, I suddenly have a much better insight to my ancestry. Alas for me, however, I did not create the Dragon Balls. My specialty is combat. As you will see." Piccolo dropped into a fighting stance, as did the others, preparing for whatever lay in store.

"Well then... if you won't give us the information we seek, we'll just have to beat it out of you..." Vegeta threatened. "But first, I'd like to see what you can really do..." he turned to look at Nappa. "Weren't there six seeds for saibamen left?"

"... why do I suddenly have this 'we're screwed' feeling?" Ran Fuan whispered.

Mai trembled in her Weapon battlesuit... her first real combat situation since joining the side of good, and she was afraid, though the armor hid it well. She suddenly paused as she heard Teena's voice whisper to her through the built-in comm-link in her helm.

_"Mai... what's going on? You all okay still?"_

"Teena! Yes, we're okay..." Weapon whispered back. "But the Saiyans... it looks like they're growing... plant-based creatures for us to fight! Teena... I'm scared..."

_"We'll get through this... but I need your help getting free here."_

"Okay... what can I do?"

_"Pull up the most recent city construction records on World City. They should be updated to include the S.A.F.E. House."_

"... uhm... isn't this something Bulma can do? It seems more... Bulmaish..."

_"It is, but I trust you just as much as her."_

Weapon blinked, and her heart soared with joy. _She TRUSTS me!!_ she beamed. "Okay! What is it you're looking for?"

_"I need to know how deep down the S.A.F.E. House is from ground level. I know how I can escape from Robogoth but I don't want to end up hurting anyone accidentally in the process!"_

"... oh my God..." Weapon hesitated, turning her attentions to the activity before her.

_"Mai? What's going on?"_

"Tein beat one of those little green men... and the wild haired Saiyan... Vegeta... he destroyed it. With just a gesture...!!"

_"... how Muad'Dibish of him. Okay, that's scary power there... Mai?"_

---

"... I need those records..." Teena whispered to Weapon through her comm-link. "The sooner I can escape the sooner I can--" She suddenly jerked her head to the side as Nineteen shot a spiked tendril at her head, intentionally missing it and spearing the comm-link from her ear.

_[... naughty naughty 18th...]_ Nineteen said, tsking as she shook her head. _[... relying on your friends to help you? you should be thankful they're going to die... then you won't have such weaknesses...]_

"... you're getting a happy seeing me in pain, aren't you?" Teena hissed.

Nineteen smirked, cocking her head. _[... yes, it IS a turn-on... you wear the visage of 'vulnerable damsel in distress' well...]_

_Square one..._ Teena realized, as she stared angrily at Nineteen. _I can't escape... I know HOW to escape but I can't endanger the lives below me! Things can't get any worse!!_

Teena paused, eyes wide.

_... I hope I didn't just jinx myself..._

---

"All right... my turn next..." Yamcha stepped up to face the next saibaman. "I'll teach them that playtime's over."

"Ah. A hotshot..." Vegeta muttered, unimpressed.

"Show 'em what the saibamen are made of!!" Nappa shouted at the next saibaman, which merely grunted in reply.

_"Don't worry, guys..."_ Bulma told the others, as Yamcha and the saibaman stalked one another, sizing each other up. _"Teena's okay. I can still see her on the cameras, but her comm-link's gone. We can't communicate with her now!"_

"Well... at least she's okay, I guess--" Weapon then paused, seeing Yamcha and the saibaman vanish. "Wha--?! Where'd they go?!"

"They're moving at super-speed, idiot!" growled Piccolo. "Feel their chi! Everyone can see them but you!!"

"Oh... uh..." Weapon blinked, cycling through the various commands on her on-board computer. "... I need an instruction manual, I think..."

"Infernal contraptions..." Piccolo and the others then saw a flash of light, as Yamcha's Kamehameha Wave had suddenly struck the saibaman, leaving it in a smoking crater.

"... again..." Nappa muttered, disappointed. "That's two down, now."

Yamcha touched down at the edge of the crater, grinning confidently. "These monsters aren't as fearsome as they look. I'll just clean up the other four by myself."

"Heh, really now..." Vegeta retorted. "Seems it's your turn to underestimate."

"What?!" Yamcha blinked, and suddenly the defeated saibaman leapt out of the crater, latching itself to Yamcha's torso, binding his arms with its own limbs. Before anyone could react, the saibaman exploded, Yamcha caught in the epicenter.

"I-it just... self-destructed..." Piccolo exclaimed, surprised.

"That's more like it..." Vegeta muttered in approval.

"YAMCHA!!" Krillin, as well as Chi-Chi and Ran Fuan, ran to their fallen friend's side. Krillin knelt down to check on him, and blinked twice in shock.

"... he's alive...?!"

Yamcha moaned softly, and slowly rose to a sitting position. "W... what happened?"

"Impossible!" Vegeta protested. "Unless..." Quickly he picked up his scouter and placed it back on, looking to the shaken up Yamcha through it. "... ah, I understand now..."

"Okay, how did you pull an Unbreakable like that?" Ran Fuan asked, then paused, noticing serious looking wounds in his gi. "Yamcha... you're bleeding..."

"... no, it's not my blood... it..." Yamcha felt his gi tremble, a moan of pain coming from it, and he quickly realized what was happening. "Oh, God... what did you do?!" Yamcha's gi suddenly came undone from his chest, collapsing into a broken, bloodied cat-girl on the ground.

"PUAR?!!" Chi-Chi shouted.

"That explains it..." Vegeta nodded. "He was wearing a shapeshifter! And she must have shielded him from the brunt of the saibaman's attack. Noble... if not entirely foolhardy..."

"..." Bulma stared dumbfounded at Puar's lifeless body on the ground, via the spy cameras set up around the area. "... she did it... she really did it... the one thing I could never do..."

"... she gave her life for mine..." Yamcha knelt down, and hugged the dead Puar in his arms. "You idiot... you loyal lovesick idiot, I didn't say you could do that!!"

"Using your women as shields?" Nappa taunted. "Pathetic!!"

"At least we Saiyans _ALLOW_ our women to fight as warriors..." Vegeta added. "Pick up your trash!"

"..." Yamcha stood up, glaring at the Saiyans. "... I've had enough of these two. Krillin?"

"I read ya..." Krillin began to gather up his energy. "This is what we've been trainin' for!" He then threw his hands out in front of him, firing a large energy blast at the Saiyans and the saibamen. At the same time Yamcha charged up his own energies, igniting a single energy sphere from his palm.

"Everyone, SCATTER!!" Ran Fuan shouted, ducking and covering as Chi-Chi dove to safety, and everyone else, even the saibamen, fled from Krillin's attack.

"Tremendous power... but no speed!" Piccolo remarked, as he braced for impact. "It's like a sign saying 'get away!'"

Krillin suddenly redirected the energy blast, narrowly missing Vegeta and Nappa, who both stood their ground. Bringing it up into the sky, Krillin let out a shout, and the blast exploded into six separate projectiles. At the same time Yamcha released his own attack, sending it out to strike the fleeing saibamen, bouncing off each one of them, stunning them enough for Krillin's attack to blast them to pieces. The attacks didn't spare Nappa or Vegeta either, as both Krillin and Yamcha's tandem attack struck them both at the same time. And the surrounding area was obscured by the dust and debris from both the ground and the saibamen's remains.

"That's all of 'em.." Krillin smirked.

"Outstanding..." Piccolo muttered, actually cracking a smile. "That actually impressed even me."

Yamcha smirked in turn, though the half-smile faded as he glanced over to the dead cat-girl lying in a pathetic heap on the ground. "... Puar..."

"She did the right thing, Yamcha..." Tein said softly. "She should be commended for her bravery."

"... I'm taking her back to Capsule Corp..." Yamcha walked to gather Puar up into his arms.

"A good idea..." Piccolo said. "We can't afford any weakness for the great battle to come."

"Heh heh heh..." The fighters froze, hearing the evil chuckle from a familiar raspy voice, and seeing Nappa and Vegeta emerge from the dustcloud, unscathed from the attacks that struck them. "Yes, I hope it will be a great battle... you DID say you wanted playtime to end, didn't you?"

"Now it's time for the real thing!" Nappa boasted.

"... no fair godboying..." Ran Fuan whispered, totally shocked.

"But... we used our full power! Both of us!!" Yamcha exclaimed.

"Yamcha!! Go! Get Puar out of here!!" shouted Krillin.

"I'll kill all nine of them at once... let me do it," requested Nappa.

"As you will," Vegeta allowed.

"I'll be merciful and kill the remaining lovebird first!"

"Crap!" Ran Fuan turned towards Yamcha, still cradling Puar in his arms. "You still here?! GO!!!!"

Yamcha blinked, and quickly turned tail to fly away.

"You ain't going to escape death THAT easy!!" Nappa grinned evilly. "My Break Cannon'll see to that!!" Opening his mouth wide, he fired a huge beam of energy from it, aiming straight and true for Yamcha and Puar's body.

"YAMCHA!!" Ran Fuan flew with all her speed, intercepting the Break Cannon with her own body. "DON'T LOOK BAAAAAAaaaaac--" And the Break Cannon seared the very flesh from Ran Fuan's bones. Yamcha grit his teeth, hearing Ran Fuan die, but honored her request, not looking back as he escaped, ignoring her charred skeleton as it plummeted to the earth below.

"Leave him be, Nappa!" ordered Vegeta. "We'll kill him later! Right now, focus on those who still want to fight us!!"

"Okay..." Nappa grinned deviously. "Who's next, then?!"

Earth's warriors were frozen with terror at Nappa's unimaginable might... Krillin, Videl, Piccolo, Chiaotzu, Tein, Weapon, and Chi-Chi... virtually all still numb from Puar and Ran Fuan's demises, knowing they could be next. Nappa suddenly charged forward with all the force of a rocket-fuelled freight train, heading straight towards Tein. The triclopean warrior instinctively threw up his left forearm to block Nappa's energy-charged fist--

"DROP!!!" screamed Piccolo.

-- but Piccolo's warning came too late. Nappa's punch literally tore through Tein's block, ripping his left forearm off, severing flesh and bone as if it were struck by a meat cleaver. Tein screamed as his arm fell to the ground, staggering back, but with the presence of mind to rocket up to the sky preparing to fire a chi blast with his remaining arm. Nappa was too fast though, meeting Tein halfway and knocking him back down with a harsh forward kick. Tein hit the ground hard, but slowly struggled back up.

"Stubborn bastard..." Nappa muttered. "He just won't die."

"That's... that..." Chi-Chi let out a frustrated scream, and drew back her hands, gathering energy. "Krillin! Help Tein!!"

"Don't!" warned Piccolo. "He's too much!!"

"KAMEHAMEHAA!!!!" Chi-Chi fired the energy blast taught to her by Master Roshi at Nappa, who smirked at the incoming attack.

"Atta girl!!!!" he taunted, and made a swipe towards the ground; the ground literally exploding open, knocking Krillin and Chi-Chi back and dissipating the Kamehameha Wave easily. As the dust settled, a huge gaping hole appeared, so deep the bottom couldn't be seen within.

"... oh God..." Weapon trembled, more visible now as she stepped backward in absolute fear. "... I can't do this..."

"... Ch-Chiaotzu...?!" Krillin stood up, frantically looking around. "W-where is he?!"

"Nappa! Behind you!" Vegeta shouted.

"Huh?" Nappa was suddenly taken by surprise as Chiaotzu slapped onto the big Saiyan's back. "HEY!!"

"CHIAOTZU!!" Tein screamed. "What're you trying to do?! Get out of there!!"

_... it's okay, Tein..._ Chiaotzu spoke to his closest friend telepathically, one of the diminutive psionic's many powers. _Goodbye, my friend. Save yourself._

"No... y-you can't..." Tein muttered. "Chiaotzu, DON'T!!!"

And Chiaotzu detonated his own chi, exploding violently.

Everyone was dumbstruck, seeing another ally and friend die at the hands of their enemies. "... so... blew himself up to take out an opponent..." Piccolo remarked. "Another one to win my respect today..."

"... no..." Weapon's scanners picked up a reading from the airborne dust cloud, and she shook her head. "... it wasn't enough..."

The dust settled, and Nappa remained unscathed from Chiaotzu's kamikaze attack. "... that was a waste..." he said spitefully. "You still just don't get it, do you?"

"Dammit... we'll have to try a more potent combined attack," Piccolo said. "Videl, you and the others must aid me."

"Gotcha..." Videl nodded.

"What do you have planned?" asked Chi-Chi.

"In the instant he moves to attack he'll be open," Piccolo explained.

"And we'll use that instant..." Krillin sighed. "Hope it works."

"Yes... as do I." The remaining fighters turned to see Vegeta, who continued to play spectator, arms crossed as he surveyed the fight. "Don't look at me, now. You'll miss your instant."

"So confident..." Piccolo muttered. "I hope to see your face when Eighteen arrives."

"Ah, yes... the cyborg..." Vegeta chuckled. "I do hope she DOES show up. I'm looking forward to seeing her in action."

Suddenly Nappa charged forward, heading towards Tein with a bellowing battle cry.

"LET'S DO IT!!!" screamed Videl, and she, Piccolo, Krillin, and Chi-Chi disappeared, moving at the heightened speed needed. Only Weapon remained on the ground, left to doubt herself and her worth.

"... am I really cut out for this...?" she asked herself.

"Doubt your abilities?" Vegeta asked. "Not much of a fighter, are you? Is that why you need armor? In the vain hopes you'll actually survive this day?"

Weapon glared at Vegeta... but deep down, she knew he was right. She _DIDN'T_ belong in this fight. She had no place in it.

Meanwhile, the instant was taken in earnest, as Piccolo rocked Nappa with all his strength in a hard punch, Krillin quickly following it up with a double axe-handle that sent the Saiyan barrelling down. Videl kept up the juggle attack with an axe kick to the jaw while Chi-Chi struck Nappa in the spine with a thrust kick.

"FINISH HIM!!" Piccolo shouted, firing his Light of Death, Krillin his Kamehameha Wave, Chi-Chi her Blast Cannon, and Videl her Lion Roar. Tein, seeing the plan unfold before him, managed a smirk.

_Very well... I'll help avenge Chiaotzu..._ he decided. _Then I'll join you, my friend. We'll never be apart._ With his remaining arm he joined the quadruple tandem attack with his own Blast Cannon, turning it into a quintuple tandem force. And they all struck Nappa simultaneously.

"GOT 'IM!!" Krillin grinned. "That HAD to do it!!"

"... no... it didn't..." Weapon whispered meekly.

Nappa survived. Still floating in the air, though his battle jacket was all but destroyed, his tough skin merely scuffed up. "... not bad..." he critiqued. "That actually hurt a little bit."

"..." Tein trembled in weakness, staring up at the seemingly invincible Nappa. Then collapsed to the ground, his energies spent as he breathed his last.

"Tein, no..." Chi-Chi gasped. "... oh God... how are we going to break this to Launch?! _BOTH_ of her?!"

"... th-this... it's a nightmare..." Krillin said with a deep dread. "... Puar, Ran Fuan, Chiaotzu... and now Tein... all of them... one after another... dying... dammit... Teena, where are you?!"

"Hm..." Vegeta cocked his head. "Nappa, halt for a moment."

"Wha... why?!" asked Nappa.

"I want to ask them... this 'Teena...' Eighteen. That's her full name, correct? Is she _REALLY_ your only hope? What good will she be if she had trouble with the likes of Raditz?"

"She's different from before!" answered Krillin. "She's more powerful than ever before!!"

"Take it from someone who knows..." Piccolo added. "Eighteen is a bad one to underestimate."

"Ha! Then where is she?!" taunted Nappa. "Maybe she's afraid!!"

"Hardly! Chi-Chi retorted. "She'll come!"

"And when she does you'll both be sorry!!" added Videl.

"Such faith.. touching," noted Vegeta. "All right then. We'll wait. Three hours. And no longer."

"What?!" Nappa exclaimed. "What the hell'm I supposed to do for three hours?! I've been in suspended animation for too long! My body is hungry for action, to hell with waiting!!!"

"NAPPA!!!!" Vegeta angrily shouted. "DO WHAT I SAY!!!!"

And Nappa froze, actually trembling before Vegeta. "S... sorry..." he mewed. "I... got carried away..."

"... Well... there you go," Vegeta said, turning to the survivors of Earth's forces. "Three extra hours of life. Enjoy them."

"... that's rare..." Videl said as she slumped down on a boulder with a sigh of relief. "Vegeta actually showing some mercy. Teena really must have him impressed enough to do this for us."

"Guys... I... I really don't know if I can do this..." Weapon muttered. "I'm way out of my league... even _IN_ the armor."

"Away with you, then!" Piccolo spat. "We have no use for a coward."

"..." Weapon paused. Then sighed. "... okay. Maybe I am a coward. I guess you'd know. Your father... you probably have his memories so you'd know. But I _AM_ trying here, okay?! I know I can never be as strong as any of you but at least I have enough courage not to run away!! A-and maybe I'll have enough courage built up where I-I can actually fight!!"

"... we'll see..." Piccolo replied, unconvinced. "Everyone else has already won my respect. Even the cat-girl has impressed me with her sacrifice."

"... I'm not here to impress you!" retorted Weapon.

"Then why _ARE_ you here?!"

"... to try to prove my worth..."

"Then try harder." Piccolo glanced at the Saiyans. "... the way the big one cowered... that must mean the little one is even _MORE_ powerful..."

"... it's hopeless..." dreaded Chi-Chi.

"Nothing's ever hopeless... Celipa told me that!" Videl stated, trying to boost morale. "Teena'll show up and Nappa and Vegeta'll know what it's like..."

"Hm?" Vegeta looked to Videl, overhearing her. "... curious..."

"What is it, Vegeta?" Nappa asked.

"... Celipa... that's a Saiyan name..."

"... wasn't she a part of that lost crew of low-levels lead by Kakarot's father?"

"She was. I remember having a small crush on her as a child. But how would that girl know about her? She died even before that human brat was ever born...!"

---

_[... i wonder if anyone's died yet...]_ Nineteen taunted, watching Teena seethe in a mix of anguish and anger. _[... oh, you probably know... you can sense energy signatures, can you...?]_

"... you spiteful little bitch, when I get outta here I will--"

_[--do what? you can't kill me... you have aliens to fight. we'll just put a rain check on our eventual, ultimately final battle...]_

"She will..." A new, male voice suddenly announced its presence. "But _I_ won't!"

Nineteen blinked, and turned around just in time to get a face full of a Power Blitz, knocking her back and forcing her concentration into disarray, the strands of hair blanketing World City coming undone, freeing Teena from her predicament. And both Teena and Nineteen looked to see a young man with black hair, features resembling Teena's, wearing blue jeans, a black shirt, a red bandanna around his neck, and a black leather duster, twin sidearms around his waist.

_[... the 17th...]_ Nineteen hissed.

"... Sev...?!" Teena blinked twice. "... _YOU_ rescued me?! Why?!!"

"I don't have to explain myself, even to you, sister..." Seventeen said flatly. "So go! Save this world before those aliens destroy my chances for its utopia!!"

"... right..." Teena smiled softly at her erstwhile twin brother. "... I owe you one..." And Teena rocketed upward, flying at top speed to the battlefield ahead. Nineteen prepared to give chase, but was stopped by Seventeen, who glared at her.

"Too bad," he said with a smirk. "Looks like you failed."

_[... i'll let you keep thinking that until you realize you're oh so wrong...]_ Nineteen giggled evilly as she floated away from Seventeen. _[... t.t.f.n....]_ And she quickly flew away, leaving Seventeen alone in the abandoned city. Relaxing, he turned to the sky where Teena had flown away, his ice blue eyes betraying a small hint of sadness.

"... they killed Ran Fuan..." he whispered. "... show no mercy, Eighteen... NONE."

---

_"GUYS!!"_ Bulma's voice echoed through the survivors' comm-links. _"Teena finally got free!! She's on her way!! ETA 2 minutes!!"_

"... At last..." Piccolo smiled. "Eighteen's coming! I should have known that fool would make us wait!!"

"Yes! Thank God, yes!" Chi-Chi praised.

"What?!" Nappa blinked. "Vegeta?! Are they telling the truth?!"

"... I don't know... blasted scouter!" Vegeta ripped it from his head, crushing it. "If she _IS_ on her way we can't tell how soon or how strong she is, with her power signature cloaked!! Nappa! Kill those five now!! Their corpses might well shake the cyborg up!!"

"... oh God..." Weapon gasped.

"B-but the Dragon Balls!" Nappa said. "How'll we find--"

"Never mind that! We don't need them!!" Vegeta answered. "I never believed the legend of the Namekian power spheres, but if it is indeed true, that means there must be _MORE_ balls on this fool's home planet! A little rampage through Namek would be a lovely way to wind down after the destruction of Earth, hmm?"

"I'll buy that.." Nappa grinned. "... a good enough excuse to start the killing."

"Piccolo!! Get outta here!!" Videl shouted. "We'll hold them somehow until Teena comes!"

"If you die, then Kami dies, too! The Dragon Balls..." Chi-Chi sighed softly. "We won't be able to bring anyone back if they're gone..."

"I'm not a coward, Videl..." Piccolo stood his ground. "If I have to die, it will be by fighting."

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT!!" Nappa charged head-long at Piccolo, but Videl met him half-way, throwing an Eagle Kick that actually sent the big Saiyan reeling, followed by a spinning double kick in the jaw by Chi-Chi, and ending in a double side thrust kick from both Videl and Krillin, and Nappa went sailing over a surprised Piccolo, striking a mountain that crumbled on impact. After a moment things were silent, until Nappa shot from the rubble, landing to his feet, visibly irate and actually bleeding from the head.

"... NOW... I've had ENOUGH!!!!" he sneered.

Suddenly, a lone figure dropped down from the sky in-between Nappa and the survivors... the familiar cornsilk-tressed girl clad in blue denim that her friends had been waiting for for so long.

"... Teena..." Krillin exclaimed.

"About time..." Piccolo muttered with a smirk.

"..." Vegeta glanced to Teena, looking up and down the newcomer with mild interest. "... so... _THIS_ is the mighty Eighteen we've heard so much about..." he smirked. "I hope you're not going to make some ridiculous speech about 'defeating us.'"

"Not really..." Teena replied. "Figured I'd jump straight into the slobberknockering, actually."

"... slobberknock--" Nappa blinked, then shrugged off the strange grammar as he grinned. "Whatever... you'll NEVER be a match for me!!" He charged straight at Teena, who glanced at the rampaging Saiyan throwing a punch at her... the same punch that maimed Tein.

The same punch Teena _CAUGHT._

"W... huh?!" Nappa blinked in surprise.

"That's the biggest word you know, isn't it?" taunted Teena.

"Rrrr..." Nappa yanked his fist away. "I... I'll destroy you!!!"

"Destroy me...?" Teena smirked. "... _DESTROY_ me? What're you now, some lame Saturday morning cartoon villain? You don't back up your talk... Nappa, right?"

"... What...?!! You say I... am just _TALK?!!!_"

"Dumb _AND_ deaf? That's what I said, Nappy."

"Heh..." Nappa glared at Teena, grinning spitefully. "I'll show you... I can back it ALL up!!!" And Nappa charged at Teena, throwing multiple attack at speeds that Teena was able to dodge at equal speeds. Nappa then threw a straight punch at Teena's face, which she didn't dodge.

"HAH!" Nappa shouted triumphantly... then paused, seeing the fist, twice as big as Teena's head, having absolutely no effect on her.

"... show off..." smirked Piccolo.

Teena acted swiftly and efficiently, throwing a backhand that sent Nappa reeling. A split second later she was behind him delivering a kidney punch. Another split second, an uppercut. Body punch. Right cross. Thrust kick. And everyone, friend and foe alike, watched with a mix of awe and dumbfoundedness.

"W-wow!!" Krillin exclaimed. "Teena's... unbelievable!! She's actually winning!!"

"Go Teena!!" Chi-Chi cheered.

Teena then pushed Nappa away with all her strength, shoving him through another mountain. Immediately Nappa exploded from it, angry and frustrated. "DAMN YOOOOU!!!!" he screamed. "I am an elite warrior of the nobility!! I'll have no wind-up toy like you push me around!!!"

"NAPPA!!" Vegeta shouted. "Get ahold of yourself, fool!! She can't beat you if you keep your head!! Calm down!!!"

"...!" Nappa blinked, looking to Vegeta. Taking some deep breaths he finally settled, looking to Teena with distain. "Y-you're right...! Thanks, Vegeta... I... I wasn't thinking."

"Wasn't. Isn't. Still not," Teena quipped, crossing her arms.

"Ha! You tricked me into a fit of rage once, it won't happen again! Now you'll see what I can really do!"

"Bring it, big man..." Teena told Nappa. "Show me what you got, and I'll show you the ass I'll hand you."

"Heh... she's bluffing..." Nappa sneered.

_No, she's not..._ Vegeta realized. _She has utter confidence in herself. And most likely the power to back it up._

Nappa rose his energy levels, charging up for an attack as Teena waited, arms still crossed. Opening his mouth wide, Nappa fired his Break Cannon at her directly.

"... bored now..." Teena took a single step forward and shot towards Nappa, her Barrier igniting a split second before the Break Cannon could connect, dissolving it. Before Nappa could even think of reacting Teena was right in front of him, delivering a swift and hard side shotei to the side of his head. An audible snap was heard, and Nappa went limp, collapsing to the ground.

"..." Vegeta blinked, slowly uncrossing his arms, realizing the sheer impossibility of what had happened. "... she defeated Nappa... effortlessly...!"

Teena glanced over to Vegeta silently. Then finally took in her surroundings... Yamcha was nowhere to be seen... neither was Chiaotzu. She guessed by the petiteness of the smoking skeleton on the ground that it was Ran Fuan, and she also spotted Tein's corpse as well. Swallowing her impending dread, she turned around and walked to her surviving friends. "Everyone okay?"

"Yeah..." Videl nodded, just before jumping over to hug Teena.

"Sorry I'm late... you can thank Nineteen for that..." Teena stated, hugging Videl back. "... I can see Ran Fuan and Tein didn't make it... what about Yamcha and Chiaotzu?"

"Yamcha... he left when Puar was killed..." Krillin explained. "She was his gi... she shielded him from an attack and died from it. Chiaotzu... tried to stop the big guy by blowing himself up, but... he failed. Chiaotzu gave his life for nothin'..."

"... are you going to be okay, Teena...?" asked Chi-Chi, noticing the foreboding sadness etched in her face.

"... yeah... I'll cry later..." she put on a brave smile, looking to her friends. "You guys go. I'll take Vegeta myself."

"I see... the enemy's too powerful..." Piccolo nodded. "If Teena has to worry about us, we'll only be getting in the way."

"Yeah, sorry..." Teena nodded. "Veggie here is pretty strong and--" Teena paused. "... did you just call me 'Teena,' Piccolo?" she asked with a smirk.

"... slip of the tongue," Piccolo replied with a half-cocked grin. "It won't happen again."

And Piccolo's head exploded.

Teena gasped out, wide eyes in shock as Piccolo's life abruptly ended. Weapon screamed in terror. Chi-Chi shielded her face from the debris of the Namekian's skull. Videl... Piccolo's pupil... stood dumbstruck as Piccolo's headless body collapsed.

Teena turned around, seeing Vegeta, two fingers pointed at Piccolo's dead body, an evil smirk on his face.

"If I can't use the Dragon Balls... then neither can you," he said with an evil glee. "I overheard that they and the Namekian were connected. So I took advantage."

Teena glared at Vegeta... the evil Saiyan Prince had secured part of a victory, and as anger rose in her heart, she realized that because of him, her lost friends were gone forever.

"... you..." Teena's clenched fists trembled, her rage at a boiling point, then she charged at the battle ready Vegeta at her highest speed. "YOU BASTARD!!!"

-- TO BE CONTINUED.


	8. Default Judgement Pt 2

Puar. A sweet and lovesick cat-turned-cat girl who would do anything to make the one she cared for happy. She died protecting the man she loved even more than her own life.

Ran Fuan. A sexy young woman who had come a long way from her less-than-stellar debut in the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai, but still knew how to use her feminine charms to get an advantage in nearly any situation. She died saving a friend, and was now a smoking charred skeleton.

Chiaotzu. A former disciple of the evil Crane Hermit, and known for his awesome powers of telepathy and telekinesis. He died in vain, trying to stop a seemingly unstoppable foe, and was now literally everywhere, blown to smithereens.

Tein Shinhan. A proud fighter and another former disciple of the Crane Hermit, known for his unique fighting skills and the third eye on his forehead. He also died in vain, from a mix of depleted energy and blood loss, trying to defeat the same unstoppable foe.

Piccolo. A former foe of humanity, the emerald-hued archdemon (actually an alien) found common ground with his rival and stood by her and her friends against a powerful foe. He died when an abrupt and forceful show of chi caused his head to shatter.

Kami. The Guardian of the Earth, and the mentor of its greatest heroine, as well as the creator of the mystical treasures called the Dragon Balls, able to grant one wish to whoever summons the Eternal Dragon from them. He died when Piccolo died, their life forces connected... and as a result, the Dragon Balls ceased to be, becoming useless stones.

Five friends. One former enemy. A valued mentor. All gone forever at the hands of the Saiyans. And while she had already killed Nappa, Vegeta remained.

But if Teena had anything to say about it, that won't last long.

**THE 18TH**  
"Default Judgement Pt. 2"  
By  
Ken Blackwell

  
  
"... you..." Teena's clenched fists trembled, her rage at a boiling point, then charging at the battle-ready Vegeta at top speed. "YOU BASTARD!!!"

"TEENA, WAIT!!" Krillin shouted, and Teena skid to a halt, turning to face the former Orin Temple monk. "Fight somewhere else, Teena! Do you want our friends' bodies even _MORE_ mangled when they come back to life...?"

"... Krillin, Piccolo just DIED," Teena reminded him rather bluntly. "Kami's gone with him and so are the Dragon Balls. No more extra lives. No cheat codes. Game over. Can I pound the Abuser of Hair Gel now?"

"No, there IS a way!" Krillin retorted. "I'll explain later! Just trust me... if you beat him!"

"What's keeping you, puppet?!" Vegeta shouted at Teena. "I thought machines _CAN'T_ feel fear!!"

"Okay, you win..." Teena nodded to Krillin. "'Somewhere else' it is. Then I'll make him pay. Partly for that 'puppet' crack..."

"Teena...I'm sorry we have to leave it to you alone..." Krillin raised his hand towards Teena in a show of respect. "You'd better not die, babe."

Teena smirked. "Not today, Krillin..." and she gave Krillin a Roman handshake. Turning to Videl and Chi-Chi, she hugged the both of them, and also shook Weapon's hand. Then she turned towards Vegeta, walking towards him.

"You figured out it's useless to run?" boasted Vegeta.

"Ain't no point to that..." Teena replied. "... but we ain't fighting here."

Vegeta nodded. "Have it your way." And the two combatants rocketed away, leaving Videl, Chi-Chi, Krillin, and Weapon alone in the desert with their fallen friends.

"... Bulma, we're going to need a transport carrier..." Chi-Chi called out on her comm-link. "... to carry the bodies back to Capsule Corp..."

---

Teena landed at another part of the desert, in the Northern side. Vegeta followed closely behind, crossing his arms the moment he landed. "A worthy battleground..." he muttered. "A perfect place to put your grave as well!"

"..." Teena stared at Vegeta, her eyes cold and emotionless, at least on the outside. But deep down she was in pain, remembering her lost friends. The fun they had, the laughter they shared, a part of her even wished for another fight with Piccolo.

_We can never go back to those days..._ Teena lamented. _But there's no time now for crying._

"I won't go easy on you just because you're a woman," Vegeta taunted. "But then, you're not woman, are you? You're a machine..."

"Less talk, more shock..." Teena coldly retorted, dropping into her battle stance.

"Finally... something we can both agree on..." Vegeta went into his own stance, the two fighters waiting... biding their time for the right moment when either of them would begin their assault on one another.

Teena acted first, rushing at Vegeta and the two engaged each other in combat no human eye could follow; Vegeta blocking the first attacks from the cyborg heroine, dodging a kick and rocketing away. Teena hastily rocketed after Vegeta, but blinked as the Saiyan vaulted off a mountain ledge and struck her with an elbow. Quickly recovering she stopped herself in mid-air, pausing to see no sign of Vegeta. It didn't even take her a second for her to figure out he was behind her, and swerved around for a straight punch. He caught her fist however, and flung her into a mountain wall with all his strength. She hit the wall back-first, but seemed to show no signs of impact as Vegeta charged at her, throwing a punch that she blocked, but was still struck in the gut by a high knee, followed with a punch that sent her flying back, but she flipped over, landing to her feet. Vegeta followed her down to the ground, a confident smirk on his face.

"You got some serious skills, Vegeta..." Teena admitted. "Color me impressed."

"I don't need a puppet's praise," Vegeta spat.

"... okay, before we continue, I gotta say... this whole thing, 'puppet' this and 'wind-up toy' that... it's getting old so fast it's fossilized already," complained Teena. "I'm _HUMAN._ I was born just like you were, and only fifty percent of me is biomechanical. Get that through your Vidal Sassoon-soaked skull of yours."

"Hmph... you're holding back, though..." Vegeta noted. "I can tell, somehow. So show me the full extent of your power!"

"Pretty good insight," Teena smirked. "Okay, Veggie... you asked for it. Kaio-Ken."

And the surge of power rippled through Teena, her body shivering as she felt her energies become heightened. Abruptly she barrelled towards Vegeta, and the Saiyan quickly flew back from her. But she caught up with him and struck him viciously with a downward punch, a body punch, and a kick, all in one second. Teena charged in to follow up, but Vegeta stopped her with an axe kick. Teena flipped back down and floated to the ground before Vegeta, her energies crackling about her body as the Kaio-Ken began to dissipate.

"Heh..." Vegeta scoffed. "If that was your best, then I've seriously overestimated you."

"Don't beat yourself up over that," Teena replied. "Remember, that's my M.O."

"Feh..." Vegeta growled. "I just realized... I can't tell when or if you're injured."

"You should see me play cards. They say I got an unbeatable poker-face." Teena smiled, crossing her arms. "And I got a lot more tricks up my sleeve, Vegeta."

"Well, _I_ say you've hit your limit already... so let me show you something before I send you to the scrap heap... the overwhelming power of an Elite Saiyan!"

"Does that include the tonnage of testosterone you're exuding?"

"Heh... I look forward to breaking that 'unbeatable' poker-face you spoke of." Vegeta began to concentrate, gathering his energies, and the whole Earth felt as if it was trembling. Nearby pillar of stone crumbled amidst Vegeta's power as winds picked up with all the force of a hurricane, with the Saiyan as its eye, Teena bracing herself as rubble and gusts blew past her. Vegeta finally let out a scream, and the vibrations stopped, all the cloud blown away by the Saiyan's sheer power alone.

"This is it..." Vegeta grinned evilly, speaking her name in a mocking tone. "'TEENA.'"

_... This might actually suck..._ Teena managed to think a split second before Vegeta shot towards her with a headbutt, and sending her flying back, then down as the Saiyan Prince elbowed her in the chest. She quickly flipped back, landing on her feet, then swiftly turned on a heel to block a kick from Vegeta that still knocked her back a few feet, and Vegeta then threw a hand out towards her, firing an energy blast at Teena--

"KAIO-KEN TIMES TWO!!"

--who barely side-stepped the blast as it grazed her chest.

"Hah... that's good. That's very good... you dodged well!" Vegeta praised, as Teena glanced down at herself; the right side of her shirt had been shredded, as well as her vest. Her black-laced bra remained intact on her chest thankfully, though even if a breast was exposed it wouldn't have made much of a difference to her; survival would supersede modesty any day, and Teena knew Vegeta wasn't interested in seeing his opponent topless.

Which made her wonder a little bit about him.

"... Even with the Kaio-Ken upped twice I can barely keep up...!" Teena said to herself.

"I made that blast easy to dodge on purpose..." continued Vegeta. "It would be boring if you died without suffering."

"... and here I was hoping for something in the non-suffering section... guess I gotta take what I can get..." Teena yanked the destroyed vest off, leaving her ruined shirt on as she looked to Vegeta. "But we're still holding back, you know."

"Is that so?" Vegeta smirked. "Don't be shy. Not if you want _ANY_ chance at all..."

"Okay then..." Teena sighed softly. _I've already conditioned my body to withstand prolonged Kaio-Ken boosts but I still hoped to avoid threepeating it just in case... my power core wasn't made for energy increases. Guess I never had a choice, but I'd better have a chance._ "KAIO-KEN TIMES THREE!!!!"

And Teena shuddered, feeling three times the extra boost course through her body, energy crackling about her skin as she grit her teeth; she could feel her power core working overtime to compensate for the extra energy, and she smiled, seeing the surprised look on Vegeta's face.

_About damn time... the 'Fear-Of-God' look looks good on him._

And Teena explode at Vegeta, faster than she had ever gone before, driving her head into Vegeta's, flipping back, she threw a kick that connected five times in one second into his jaw, threatening to break it, then a knee to the gut and the same side shotei that felled Nappa, knocking Vegeta away, and Teena caught him from behind abruptly, delivering a release German suplex that flung the Saiyan even further through one mountain and embedded him into another. Vegeta broke free of the mountain, causing it to collapse as he glared at the incoming Teena.

"DAMN YOU!!" Vegeta shouted, throwing a punch at his opponent, who afterimaged the attack, spinning around behind him, and grabbed his leg, flipping him around and seizing him by the waist while he was upside-down, then dropped into a sitting position, driving him head-first into the ground and causing a crater to shatter around them. It was then that Vegeta realized the impossible.

_S-she surpassed me...!!_

Teena pushed Vegeta to his back, and flew to a pillar, trembling slightly. _Crap... triple Kaio-Ken's nearly had me on the ropes..._ she thought. _Bionanos're easing the pain at least.. power core's recharging... but... damn, King Kai may've hit the nail on the head here... it may actually wear me out...!!_

Vegeta slowly got to his feet, quaking in anger as he wiped his lips, glancing down at the crimson stain on his white glove. _Blood... I-I shed my noble blood.. for this glorified doll...!! No... I cannot... I _WILL_ not endure this knowledge!!_

"TO HELL WITH THIS PLANET!!" Vegeta screamed. "YOU AND YOUR WORLD ARE BOTH ASHES!!!!"

Vegeta shot up from the ground, to the sky, bringing his hands back as he gathered all the energy he could muster. "Try dodging _THIS_ one, toy!! Save yourself, and _DOOM THE EARTH!!!!"_

"... getting desperate, I see... crap..." Teena drew a hand back, standing ready. "Gotta chance it... KAIO-KEN THREE!!"

"HA! You'll _NEVER_ block my Galick Gun!!" boasted Vegeta. "Prepare to die with the world you love!!"

And Vegeta fired off his Galick Gun, straight at Teena in the dark hopes of vaporizing her and shattering the Earth to pieces.

"POWER BLITZ!!!" But Teena fired her own Kaio-Ken-enhanced energy blast, intercepting the Galick Gun, blocking it from striking the Earth, and wasting no time, upped the level of power. "KAIO... TIMES FOUR!!!" And suddenly the Power Blitz engulfed the Galick Gun easily, and Vegeta screamed as Teena's blast took him, sending him upward in a blaze of energy.

"..." Teena trembled, then collapsed to her knees, wincing in pain. For the first time that she can remember, she was severely fatigued and in equally severe pain. "... ow..." But after a moment of rest, she slowly stood up, the bionanos in her bloodstream working overtime as her power core began to recharge.

_Not done yet..._ she surmised. _I can already tell... Veggie's a tough nut to crack. Just hope my body can recover before he does._ Teena then cocked her head curiously. _... what the hell _IS_ a Galick...?!_

---

Vegeta neared the stratosphere as Teena's Power Blitz carried him past the clouds. But somehow, he had managed to force himself out of the attack's trap, and watched hatefully as it travelled past the atmosphere and dissipating into space itself.

"Damn you... DAMN YOU!!!" Vegeta screamed. "Why?! That biomech's power... greater than mine... DAMN HER!!!" Vegeta panted heavily, his anger seething over. Then he smirked in a dark realization. "Fine then... I'll make the transformation and crush her... my Giant Ape form is enough to terrify even me...!" He laughed as he glanced down to the ground where Teena was. "Her shock will be priceless!"

---

"I hope Teena's doing okay..." Krillin said, as he and the others flew side-by-side a Capsule Corp transport ship carrying their fallen friends to West City. "That Saiyan has some scary power. I hope she can handle it."

"This _IS_ Teena we're talking about..." Chi-Chi reminded Krillin. "She can beat him... I just know it!"

"Oh, look... the Moon's out already..." Weapon pointed out. "It's a full one, too. At least it'll be a beautiful night out tonight--"

"... Oh NO!!" Videl stopped dead in her flight, eyes wide with dread as the transport ship continued its trek back to the city. "Teena's in danger!!"

"What?!" Krillin blinked. "Videl, what're you talkin' about?"

"Saiyans... they transform into Giant Apes whenever they look directly at the full moon! Celipa told me... something about green spectrum radiation or glands in the tails or 17 million zeno units or blutz waves or... or, oh I can't remember the exact discussion, but a Saiyan becomes even _MORE_ powerful once transformed!!"

Almost as if on cue, the survivors felt a huge energy spike upward to even more outrageous levels.

"... oh God..." Krillin gasped. "... it's the Saiyan, isn't it? He's transforming, just like you said...!"

"... I'm going back..." Videl decided.

"No! Videl, you can't!" pleaded Chi-Chi.

"She's right! What can you do against that Saiyan?!" stated Weapon.

"... not sure..." Videl reluctantly answered. "But... screw it, I'm going!!" And Videl flew back towards the fight between Teena and Vegeta.

"No!! Videl!!" Krillin sighed. "She's crazy... I guess I am too..." And he flew after Videl. Chi-Chi also sighed, shrugging at Weapon with a sheepish smile, and quickly added herself in pursuit of the AWOL pre-teen.

"... I guess... it wouldn't matter where we are if the Saiyan wins..." Weapon realized. And she too broke off from the transport ship, flying towards the others.

"You got some kind of plan, I hope..." Krillin called out to Videl.

"A long shot of a plan..." explained Videl. "I just hope we can get close enough for it to work...!"

---

Vegeta had transformed. Before Teena's eyes, the Saiyan had shifted from his humanoid form to an over thirty foot tall ape-like creature, looming over her with pupiless and irisless ruby red eyes, a fanged grim on his face.

"HA!" he growled. "What do you think of _THAT_, puppet?!!"

"... okay, if it weren't for the whole 'threat to humanity' thing that'd be pretty cool..." Teena admitted. "Really ILMish."

"I'm glad you can appreciate the inevitability of your end!" Vegeta said with a laugh. "Any last words, biomech?!"

'Yeah, I got four of them..." Teena answered. "KAIO-KEN TIMES FIVE!!!!" And Teena let out a scream as more energy than she had ever felt before ruptured through her, giving her goose bumps as she grimaced.

---

"... times five..." King Kai blinked as he watched the fight from the safety of his planet. "... Teena... Goku, he... _NEVER_ thought of going past times four! He just went directly to using the Spirit Bomb... this... this may be a huge mistake on Teena's part... not even _HER_ body is strong enough for Kaio-Ken times five!!"

---

Teena swiftly dodged a punch from the now-gargantuan Vegeta, blocking a kick from the ape-like Saiyan that sent her hurtling back, skidding across the ground as her huge foe lunged at her. Teena flew upward to avoid him but Vegeta swiped his tail at her. Teena caught it, and with all her Kaio-Ken-enhanced-strength she flung the monstrous Vegeta over her shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground. But already the after-effects of a times five Kaio-Ken were catching up to her.

_Screw this..._ she thought as Vegeta began to stand up. _I gotta finish this. Right here and now. Gotta buy some time. Need him to look directly at me._

"Hey Vegeta!!" she shouted. "Big fat monkey, huh?! What's your ultimate attack now? Flinging hill-sized poo at your opponents?!!"

Vegeta glared up at Teena angrily. "You've mocked the Prince of Saiyans for the last--"

"TAIYO-KEN!!!" Tein's attack, while it did no permanent damage, was always useful for defensive strategies, and as Vegeta covered his eyes in temporary blindness, Teena smirked. "Dumbass." And she flew away as fast as she could, landing at a safe spot as she prepared to charge up the Spirit Bomb.

_... wait a second..._ Teena paused, her biomechanically enhanced brain calculating the time ratios. _Tein's Sun Fist isn't gonna last that much longer. It'll take me roughly thirty seconds for me to gather up enough energy to use the Spirit Bomb, but who's to say Vegeta won't dodge it? Gotta give the Ubergleek _SOME_ credit..._ Teena lowered her arms, not charging for her ultimate attack. _The course is clear. Wear Vegeta down, and when he's on the ropes, _THEN_ clock him with the Spirit Bomb._

"I FOUND YOU!!" Vegeta bellowed, spotting Teena from afar. "Now... DIE!!!!" He projected a gargantuan energy blast from his muzzle, aimed directly at Teena.

"Barrier." But Teena was quick to use her own defensive measures, absorbing most of the attack but still staggering back. The smoke and dust cleared, and Teena saw Vegeta tower over her once more, grinning psychotically.

"You've got spunk, girl..." Vegeta growled. "But I'm willing to bet you're out of everything else, aren't you?"

"Oh, you know me..." Teena answered as she shrugged. "Slap a couple of bunny ears on my head, hand me a drum, I'll keep going and going ad nauseum."

"Hah!!" Vegeta lifted a foot to stomp on Teena, but she jumped back to avoid it, taking to the air only be swatted back down. She stopped in mid-air and charged head-long at Vegeta, dodging a punch--

"FINAL BLITZ!!"

--throwing an energy-enhanced shotei that actually staggered Vegeta. Angrily the Giant Ape struck down the cyborg, driving her to the ground. Before Teena could get up, Vegeta was quick to bring his foot down on her legs, and even her augmented biomechanical bones cracked under the intense strength and weight. Teena's eyes widened, and she screamed in excruciating agony.

"There... I finally grounded you!" Vegeta boasted. "No other opponent has EVER given me such trouble! I've left you alive long enough..." Vegeta raised a single finger as he approached the crippled Teena. "Better hope my aim is true, puppet... or would you rather watch Earth get destroyed--!!"

"Blah blah blah blah blah... would you just _PLEASE_ hit 'mute' already!" Teena gasped. "You haven't won yet, Veggie... I'm still alive."

"Easily corrected!!" Vegeta drove the finger down, intending to impale Teena through the chest with the blunt piercing attack.

Teena caught it.

"W-what?!" Vegeta struggled, trying to push the finger down into Teena's body, but she kept it away, the tip mere inches from punching through her breastbone. "This... can't be!!"

"... laws of physics..." Teena smugly smiled. "Who needs 'em?"

"DAMN YOU--!!" Vegeta screamed. "Why don't you just die already?!!"

"Not on my 'to do' list..." Teena suddenly swatted the finger away and fired a Power Blitz, striking him directly in the right eye. Vegeta doubled back, screaming in pain as Teena smirked. "Goodbye, depth perception. Hello, pirate jokes."

"... impudent... BITCH!!!" Vegeta growled in outright hatred, glaring at Teena with his good left eye, then lunged forward to seize her. "YOU'VE SCARRED MY FACE!!!!" But Teena rolled out of the way, avoiding getting grabbed, and pushed herself off the ground with her arms, taking to the air as she fired off her Power Falling Star projectiles, throwing Vegeta off-kilter. "GRRAHH!! I'LL KILL YOU!!!"

"You know, you screwed yourselves over coming here..." Teena said, reaching down to grasp her broken legs, searching for the fractures in her bones. "... I told you and Nappa not to show up, but you did anyway... now Nappa's dead, the Dragon Balls you were jonesing for are gone, and now you need a parrot on your shoulder to complete he new look-- unngghh!!" Teena winced as she pushed the broken bones of her left leg back into place, resetting them by hand. "One last chance, Vegeta. Get the hell off of my planet now, or else you're gonna end up being a permanent resident of the six feet under variety. You read me, Veggie?!"

"NEVER!!!" Vegeta shrieked, drawing back his hands. "GALICK GUN!!!!" And he fired off the much larger version of his energy blast, just as Teena bent down to reset the bones in her other leg.

"Crap--!!" With no time to dodge Teena straightened up, preparing to block the attack.

"KAMEHAMEHAA!!!!" Suddenly a small figure dropped down with his own chi blast, intercepting Vegeta's Galick Gun but just barely slowing it down.

"K-KRILLIN?!!" Teena blinked twice in shock. "What th--?! What the hell's your damage?! Get outta there!!"

"... sorry, Teena... can't... oblige..." Krillin grimaced as he struggled vainly to hold back Vegeta's Galick Gun. "... needed a distraction... no time left, ask Chi-Chi about... Dragon Balls... Teena... I love--" Krillin had no time to finish his sentence as the Galick Gun dissolved his Kamehameha Wave, consuming the former Orin Temple monk within its own conflagration.

"... no..." Teena muttered in a hushed tone, dumbstruck as she watched Krillin's vaporization.

"... and another one bites the dust... or rather, becomes dust..." Vegeta snickered. "... at least I can count on sentimental worms like you jumping in at the last minute to throw your lives away trying to stop me! But where are the others--"

Vegeta suddenly gasped, feeling a numbing pain rush through his body; behind him Weapon had sliced his tail off with her arm-mounted laser scythes, and quickly she doubled back, flying to Chi-Chi and Videl, who were hiding behind a mountain.

"Yes!!" Videl cheered, hugging Weapon. "Great job, Mai! Now Vegeta's turning back to normal!"

"Yeah... but..." Weapon sighed, extinguishing her laser scythes. "... Krillin..."

"He did what he needed to be done... it was a noble sacrifice," Chi-Chi rationalized. "Besides, if what he said was true, then it'll only be short-term, all of it."

Vegeta was now back to his humanoid form, his tail severed from his body as he trembled in anger. "... suicidal... fools... do you know what it means to make me angry...?!"

Teena dropped to the ground, facing Vegeta with a stoic visage, yet her ice blue eyes betrayed her real emotions with brimming tears. "... doubt it compares to _MY_ angry..." she hissed. "'Cause right now I'm a 10.0 on the Pissed-Off scale."

Vegeta flew straight at Teena, throwing a stiff body punch to her solarplexus. She staggered back, but weathered the blow with little registration of pain. Vegeta blinked, and grabbed the front of her shirt to headbutt her. Teena merely shoved Vegeta back, unfazed.

"Vegeta... I'll give you a free shot..." Teena raised her arms to her sides, leaning forward to stick out her chin. "I want you to hit me as hard as you can."

"What?!" Vegeta snarled, and pounced at Teena, throwing a right cross that connected with a deafening impact, like a sonic boom.

Teena didn't even budge.

"... this... is impossible..." Vegeta gasped.

"Welcome to Fight Club." And Teena attacked, pummelling Vegeta with educated fists and feet, and while Vegeta attempted to fight back, connecting effortlessly with his own punches and kicks to Teena's face, chest, and stomach, she easily ignored them, wearing Vegeta down with ease.

"... she adapted...!" Videl exclaimed, watching on with a grin. "Vegeta's no match for her now! We've won this one!!"

Teena finished the barrage with a side kick that sent Vegeta through a plateau, then threw her hands up, preparing to defeat Vegeta once and for all. _Thirty seconds... and Vegeta's one deep-fried monkey!_

Vegeta exploded from the rubble with a scream battered and bloodied. "ENOUGH OF THIS!!!" he denied angrily. "YOU ARE NOT BETTER THAN ME!! I WILL KILL YOU, YOU PIECE OF TRASH!!!"

"We gotta buy Teena time!" Videl rushed forward before Chi-Chi and Weapon could stop her, flying straight at Vegeta, but the Saiyan prince caught her approach in the corner of his good eye, kicking her viciously in the head, sending her skipping across the ground and bouncing off a pillar.

"Dammit, Videl...!" Chi-Chi came out of hiding, firing off her Ki Blast Cannon at Vegeta, who deflected it, charging at Chi-Chi and punching her in the gut, the princess coughing up blood as she doubled over, flashbacks of the encounter with Bardock's crew in her head as she collapsed, but this time, she swore she felt an organ or two rupture inside her.

Abruptly Vegeta was struck swiftly by the steel-encased fist of Weapon.

"FOOL!!" Vegeta struck back, shattering the entire left side of Weapon's helm, exposing her face partially. And as she staggered back, Vegeta thrust a kick out, striking her directly in the small of the back.

And Mai felt her spine snap.

"VEGETA!!!" Teena screamed. And Vegeta turned to see her, lowering her hands as a sphere of tremendous energies glowed in-between them. And it was then that huge phoenix-like wings unfurled from her back, a few feathers of light scattering around her, and the energy wings spread out, a full twenty-five foot span from wingtip to wingtip.

"... What...?! What is this?!" exclaimed Vegeta.

"... teena..." Mai smiled weakly, seeing her with the luminescent wings behind her. "... you're... so beautiful..." With that, she passed out.

---

"... wings...!" King Kai blinked as he watched the astonishing events unfold. "... that... that's not part of the Spirit Bomb..."

---

"ANGELIC SPIRIT NOVA!!!!"

The attack cascaded from Teena's hand, like a missile of pure energy borne on the hopes and dreams of an entire world, straight at Vegeta.

Who jumped over it.

"FOOL!!" Vegeta taunted. "IT'S HOPELESS!!!!"

"... nothing's ever hopeless..." Teena retorted, as the wings reared back, and flapped forward, releasing themselves as a spectacular huge beam of power that took Vegeta by surprise, knocking him back directly into the first half of the Angelic Spirit Nova. And the heavens seemed to split open as Vegeta screamed in a mix of protest and agony, the energies ripping through him, taking him up into the sky in a brilliantly wrathful upward spiral.

And things were quiet.

Teena sighed softly, dropping her arms to her sides as she relaxed.

"... is this what it feels like..." she muttered. "... to be tired... feels... familiar somehow..."

And Teena dropped to her knees, collapsing to her side. And laid still.

---

_"VIDEL!! CHI-CHI, MAI!! ANYONE!! YOU BETTER NOT BE ALL DEAD!! C'MON, RESPOND! PLEASE RESPOND!!"_

"Mnn...?" Videl opened her eyes, waking up to the sound of Bulma's frantic voice over the comm-link. "... Bulma...?"

_"VIDEL!! Oh, thank God! Are you okay?!"_

"Yeah... I--AHH--!!" Videl grasped her arm with a cry of pain, biting back tears as she quickly realized that it was broken. "Ow... I... ow... s... Senzu bean..." Videl reached into a built-in pocket in her boot, pulling out a small pouch of Senzu beans, opening it to take a single one and eating it. In a matter of seconds she was fully restored to health, and she quickly stood up, looking around at the aftermath before her. "What happened? Did we win?"

_"Yeah, I think so..."_ Bulma answered. _"Teena used some kind of ultimate attack, beat Vegeta with it, then passed out."_

"... Teena passed out...?!" Videl exclaimed in shock.

_"Don't worry... I think all that happened was that her power core used up too much energy. I'm sure she'll charge back up. But right now, get the Senzu to Chi-Chi and Mai! They're hurt badly!"_

"Right..." Videl turned to the nearest one, being Mai. Then suddenly, a figure dropped from the sky. It was Vegeta, prone and defeated on the ground.

"He's dead..." Videl sighed softly, approaching him. "Vegeta... you may have been our enemy but you were brave at least... for that I respect you..." she turned away and walked towards Mai. "I promise you a decent funeral..."

"FOR YOURSELVES?!"

Videl gasped, then turned around to see Vegeta slowly get up to his feet. "... omiGod..."

"... you've given me quite a beating... I almost thought you had me on that last one... but I have enough strength left to finish you!!" Vegeta seized Videl by the throat, lifting the girl off her feet with ease. "... taxing my power... to the limit... actually hurting me... what hurts me most is my pride, for struggling with scum like you...!"

"Gkkt!!" Videl struggled vainly, her feet dangling off the ground.

"There _IS_ something that puzzles me, however..." continued Vegeta. "How can a girl from a backwater frontier planet like Earth know so much... about the Saiyan race?! Before I kill you I must know... sate my curiosity, child...!"

Videl coughed, gasping for air, grasping Vegeta's hand feebly. "... c... c-celipa..."

"That's a Saiyan name... how do you know it, girl?! Tell me!!"

Vegeta was suddenly struck fiercely in the jaw, thrown backward and skidding across the ground, and in the process dropped Videl from his grasp. She dropped to her knees, gasping in fresh breaths of air. Vegeta quickly sat up, and at the same time he and Videl saw who had struck him, who had rescued her.

"How does she know it? Simple answer, Vegeta..." replied a halo-adorned Celipa, crossing her arms as she smirked. "Guess."

-- TO BE CONTINUED.


	9. Default Judgement Pt 3

Just when you think you know all the answers, something comes along and changes the questions.

Like Vegeta. The proud Saiyan prince who used the Earth's Moon against Teena to transform into a behemoth to gain the upper hand against Earth's champion.

Like Krillin. The former Orin Temple monk who had given his life to buy Teena and her friends enough time to sever Vegeta's tail from his body, the tail being the source of Vegeta's transformation.

Like Teena. Adapting to Vegeta's power level, then using a variation of the Spirit Bomb not even King Kai could ever conceive... the Angelic Spirit Nova... to seemingly defeat Vegeta. But as Teena passed out from the huge amounts of energy she expended, Vegeta survived.

But the biggest shock of all, no one could ever expect, as Vegeta was about to squeeze the life from Videl's body, came in the form of a woman long dead, somehow back in the world of the living to keep a promise that should have been broken...

**THE 18TH**  
"Default Judgement Pt. 3  
By  
Ken Blackwell

While they were both enemies, Videl and Vegeta both shared the same look of shock seeing Celipa before them; she looked exactly as she did twenty-three years ago, clad in the pink leotard-like undersuit, white gloves and boots, yellow hose, a single knee pad, and a black single-shouldered battle jacket. The gold halo hanging over her head was an accessory that was new to either of them. 

"... c... celipa..." Videl stared up at her long-dead mentor in a state of disbelief. Finally she reacted physically, wrapping her arms around Celipa's waist tightly and hugging her. "H-how--?! T-Taanipu told me... y-you..."

"I had a promise to keep," answered Celipa. "I'll explain in full later. Now go help your friends. I'll take things from here." She looked down at Videl and smiled, ruffling her hair. "I saw you fight, by the way. You did well, little one."

Videl smiled brightly at the praise Celipa had given her, then rushed towards the severely injured Mai, Senzu beans ready. Celipa glanced at Videl with a small hint of pride in her heart, then looked over to Vegeta, nodding to him out of royal respect.

"My prince..." she addressed. "You... look pretty trashed."

"And _YOU'RE_ supposed to be dead!" spat Vegeta. "You and your crew... slain by a horde of Meetians! A truly pathetic way to die..."

"Was that the story Frieza told you, my liege? Come now... we may've been low-levels at the time but not even the people from planet Meet could slow us down. It was Dodoria who killed us."

Vegeta blinked, but only showed a hint of surprise. "What...?!"

"We were set up. _ALL_ of us..." Celipa explained. "I don't know what Frieza told you about our world, but the truth is... Frieza himself destroyed planet Vegeta! And our entire race!"

"..." Vegeta stared at Celipa blankly.

"Frieza's scared of our power... we were increasing our numbers, taking our places as powerful warriors. So he committed wholesale genocide on us!! My prince... there's no need to waste time on Earth! And you're in no further shape to fight right now, you're barely able to stand! We should contact Lady Aise, she can--"

"Don't get me wrong, Celipa..." Vegeta muttered with a tired smirk. "I could care less about our planet, my fellow Saiyans, _OR_ my parents. And I despise Aise as much as Frieza. In any case I was just angry at myself for a moment for letting myself be used by those bastards! I'll deal with with them all personally... but first, I'll finish my current endeavors. Step away, Celipa... so I can finish off the humans."

Celipa sighed softly, and responded flatly to Vegeta's command. "NO."

"Disobeying your superior, Celipa?" Vegeta scoffed. "Not an... intelligent decision."

"I made a promise long ago, my liege..." Celipa explained. "I broke out of Hell itself, risked eternal damnation, to get here. No one, not even you, is going to make me break my promise."

"Loyal, if not stupid... you're still a low-level, however. And even an infinite number of low-levels are no match for one of the elite."

"So we're really going to do this..." Celipa quickly assumed her battle stance.

"When I was but a boy, I developed quite the crush on you, Celipa..." Vegeta grinned darkly. "... but I grew out of it. So die. Just DIE!!"

Vegeta suddenly threw his arms out ad let loose with an explosive force of energy that sent Celipa staggering back

Rewind.

"I had a promise to keep," answered Celipa. "I'll explain in full later. Now go help your friends. I'll take things from here." She looked down at Videl and smiled, ruffling her hair. "I saw you fight, by the way. You did well, little one."

Videl smiled brightly at the praise Celipa had given her, then rushed towards the severely injured Mai, Senzu beans ready. Dropping to her knees she gingerly raised Mai's head up and placed the Senzu in her mouth. "Mai... please eat this, you'll get better...!"

Instinctively Mai managed to bite into it, chewing and swallowing it. Almost instantaneously the paralyzing damage to her spine healed and all her injuries became a lingering memory. She sat up in shock, eyes wide. "Wha--?!"

"Easy, you're okay, now..." Videl advised. "I gave you a Senzu bean so now you're all healed."

"Ahh... that would explain the feeling I have back in my legs..." Mai stood up. "... Teena! She... she had wings--!"

"I know... the ultimate attack Bulma told me about. Teena's okay, but she's recharging right now. C'mon, we have to get to Chi-Chi, she needs Senzu, too! We'll use the batch she has!"

"... she has...?"

"Yes! Remember? Teena gave each of us three Senzu just in case!"

"... oh..." Mai shrugged. "How was I to know they could heal? I thought they were just beans so I threw mine out..." she sweatdropped. "... beans normally give me bad gas..."

"... uh..." Videl blinked. ".. well, you _ARE_ new to this. Whatever, come on! Chi-Chi needs us!" The two quickly rushed to the princess in question; Chi-Chi was doubled over, coughing up blood and in severe suffering.

"Oh God... this doesn't look too good..." Mai said with considerable dread.

"Don't complain about it! Do something!" Videl dropped down, pulling out the small pouch of Chi-Chi's Senzu from a hidden pocket within her sash, and placed it in Chi-Chi's mouth, but she coughed it out with more blood, whimpering in agony, tears falling from her eyes. "No.. her body must be too badly hurt for her to even _TRY_ to eat anything!! She... she's dying...!"

_"No way... nobody else is going to die!"_ Bulma vowed. _"Mai, quick! Cycle through the medical programs and click on the syringe icon!"_

"Okay..." Mai closed her exposed eye, looking through the slightly cracked optical sensor of the Weapon Battlesuit and the on-board computer. "Here it is!" And a panel opened up in the left gauntlet, panels shifting, components assembling, to form a hi-tech syringe, complete with a medically sanitized needle.

_"Now crush one of the Senzu and place it in the syringe tube compartment! And inject the Senzu directly into her bloodstream!"_

"Are you sure that'll work?!" asked Videl.

_"Truthfully? I got no clue! But it's better than watching Chi-Chi die, so give her the damn shot already!!"_

Videl and Mai both blinked, and then quickly acted; Videl held Chi-Chi down as Mai crushed a Senzu and placed the crumbs into the tube, then grabbed her arm and slid the needle into a major vein, injecting the Senzu into her. Almost immediately Chi-Chi's body stiffened, a sharp gasp drawn into her lungs as her eyes were wide open. Then she went limp.

"... great, we killed her..." Mai dreaded.

Chi-Chi suddenly sat up, a look of surprise on her face. She looked to the shocked and relieved expressions on Mai and Videl's faces, then at her arm, where Mai had injected the Senzu.

"... that was a rush..." Chi-Chi remarked.

Suddenly the three were blown back by an explosive force of energy created by Vegeta, scattered away from one another

Vegeta stood within a crater than spanned a good 50 feet in radius. Panting heavily, he glanced around, seeing the prone bodies of Videl, Teena, Mai, and Chi-Chi. Knowing that they survived.

"Wh-what's... wrong with me...?" he asked himself. "They... sh-should all be... dead..." he then paused. "Wait, where's--"

He was abruptly struck hard in the jaw by Celipa, who had swooped down from the sky to meet the battle-weary Saiyan prince in combat. She dropped to her feet, then drew her hands back--

"VENGEANCE MISSILE!!"

--firing off a twin energy blast, a single projectile with a larger one spinning about it like a top. Vegeta quickly dodged the energy blast, only to be struck hard in the gut by a body blow from the female Saiyan, setting him up to be locked into a full nelson, taken a good ten feet into the air as she rained multiple knees into his kidneys, then slammed back down to the ground, embedding him there.

"Really now..." Celipa flew back a few feet from Vegeta. "Saiyan prince or not... elite or not, it's still not much fun beating down a half-dead opponent. I might as well finish you off..." Celipa then glanced up at the sky, and smiled as her eyes began to glow a bright red. "Oh, look... someone left the full moon out for me!"

"W-what?!" Vegeta staggered up, eyes wide as he saw the full moon triggering Celipa's transformation. "N-no... you won't transform... not without the full moon!!" Vegeta threw his hand forward, drawing forth enough energy in an attempt to blow up the Moon.

_"No! He'll screw up the tides on Earth if he blows up the Moon!"_ Bulma shouted. _"Someone! ANYONE, STOP HIM!!"_

"On it!" Videl got up to one knee, flying at Vegeta like a bullet, spearing him in the midsection and causing the shot to go wide, missing the Moon entirely.

"Insufferable brat!!" Vegeta hastily seized Videl by the back of her shirt and tossed her upward by only several inches from him. And in an instant that felt like forever, Vegeta drove his fist down into Videl's neck vertebrae.

The shattering of her bones could be heard by everyone conscious. And Videl collapsed to the ground, body twitching in death spasms, eyes wide open, but sightless.

"... videl..." Chi-Chi gasped.

_"... no, God no... not her..."_ Bulma pleaded. _"... she's just a child, please God... she can't be dead..."_

"... that monster--!!" Mai cursed.

"VEGETAAA!!!!"

The Saiyan prince paused, looking up from Videl's twitching body to see the thirty foot tall Giant Ape clad in Celipa's attire, halo over its head, tears falling from its eyes as it snarled angrily.

"That was the _LAST_ life you'll _EVER_ take!!" screamed Celipa. "I'LL KILL YOU!!!!"

The afterlife.

"Quite the serious infraction..." Lord Enma noted, as he looked over his paperwork, a singular file at his desk. "We have a rogue soul on Earth... a Saiyan warrior named Celipa. Charged with numerous counts of genocide all across the galaxy and sentenced to Hell accordingly. Strange... she never contested the sentence, and was well-behaved for twenty-three years... then she just suddenly broke out!"

"How is that possible, milord?" a voice asked from a shadow in the corner.

"She had help, of course..." Enma answered. "It seems her fellow crew members in life... what were their names... oh, yes... Bardock, Toma, Panboukin, and Totepo... they used their combined powers to open a rift large enough for Celipa to escape from. Here's the interesting part... once she got to Snake Way from there, she came in contact with someone, and then she was on Earth. Just like that." Enma glanced from the file, to the shadow. "Now then, does that sound familiar to you?"

"Teleportation..." the voice confirmed, as the source of the voice emerged from the shadows... a figure dressed in crimson robes and cloak, all with gold trims and in Chinese origins, the face obscured by a hood. "Only a handful of people here know of the technique. But I can recollect one who is in direct relation to the offender."

"Indeed. Whatever his reason, he's helped a felon from Hell escape to Earth... it's like the Insurrection all over again, but at least it's only one escapee this time. So I can afford to send you... the fifth Lawgiver of the Shi-Tien Yen-Wang... to Earth to retrieve her. That is your only mission, though. Don't try to harm anyone there, and try not to kill the target. If she dies while still dead she ceases to exist and that's even _MORE_ paperwork for me."

"It shall be done, milord..." And with that, the Lawgiver turned on a heel and walked away, exiting the checkpoint.

"... I never thought I would obtain the help from the Shi-Tien Yen-Wang again... after so many millennia..." Enma said to himself. "... these must be hard times indeed..."

Planet Aise Prime.

Aise sat silently in her glass throne, furrowing her chin as she waited for the Kanassan oracles' response; the reptilian trio dressed in white ceremonial robes, survivors of the massacre of their world, were invaluable to the benevolent ruler for their powers of precognition and their sagely advice. By Aise's side were three female warriors clad in the traditional undersuits and battle jackets notable of not only Aise's troops, but the troops of her brothers, Frieza and Cooler, as well; two were identical twins, with short dark green hair and lighter green skin, resembling true mirror images of each other, wearing single shouldered battle jackets... one twin with a left shoulder strap, the other with a right. The other warrior woman had long white hair tied in a braid and red skin, twin swords adorning her back.

"Gah... why're they takin' so bloody long?" the crimson-hued woman asked in annoyance.

"Because this is important, Surees..." one of the twins answered. "Now shush," the other twin scolded, before both said. "Let them concentrate."

"... Lady Aise..." the Kanassan oracle in the middle rose his head. "All we can see is what we predicted what would be on the planet Earth. Saiyan versus Saiyan. The dead on the plane of the living. And death."

"Well, _THAT'S_ bleedin' cryptic..." Surees crossed her arms, still slightly annoyed.

"Surees..." Aise smirked at her, then looked to the oracles. "We do know from surveillance reports that Vegeta and Nappa went to Earth after Raditz was killed, to take advantage of Earth's power spheres, called Dragon Balls by the inhabitants there. I suspected Frieza would take advantage of planet Namek's power spheres, which is why I sent warriors there to protect the Namekians."

"But surely they can't possibly" "handle the likes of your own brother..."

"... I know, Estro... Gen..." Aise looked to the twins sadly. "I know they're strong enough to at least hold their own with the likes of Dodoria or Zarbon... but Frieza..." she lowered her head. "... I feel as if I sent them there to die. It makes my hearts break with sadness."

Surees placed a hand on Aise's shoulder. "Ay, you want me t'head to Namek to give 'em a hand, Lady Aise?"

"... no..." Aise shook her head. "It would surely kill me. _AND_ your brother, if you were killed." She looked to the oracles once more. "I seek your wisdom... what would be the best course of action in light of this?"

The trio of Kanassans paused for a good long moment, looking into possible futures, until the third, a female, spoke up. "Go to Earth. Gain the trust of its remaining heroes, especially its champion... one with a number for a name... she will be your greatest ally. From there, all should go to planet Namek. The rest of the future is unclear..."

"Sounds good..." Aise stood up from her throne. "Estro, Gen. Surees. We leave at once for Earth. Prepare the necessary crewmen and head for the mothership, and we'll leave the Princesses in command while we're gone."

"Yes, milady!" Both twins replied.

"Let's do this!" smiled Surees.

"Time is of the essence, my friends..." Aise stated as the four women exited the throne room. "Hopefully... things can't possibly get any worse now!"

Rewind.

"... things can't possibly get any worse now..." Bulma muttered off-mic, staring at Videl's twitching form on the ground. "... Videl... God, Videl..."

Teena's eyes snapped open. With a moan she sat up, brushing her hair back as she sighed softly. "I gotta figure a way around not passing out after I do that, it's annoying..." she turned her head to see what was going on, spying Vegeta avoiding attacks from _ANOTHER_ Saiyan transformed into a Giant Ape, and she blinked out of confusion. "I missed something important. And me without a rewind button."

Then she spotted Videl's body, random spasms rocking her body.

"... no..." Quickly Teena flew to Videl's side, her action catching the attentions of her friends.

_"Teena's awake!"_ shouted Bulma.

Chi-Chi and Mai both struggled to their feet, going to Teena as she checked on Videl. "... Teena..." Mai spoke. "... is Videl..."

"She's barely hanging on..." Teena confirmed. "I need a Senzu, now!"

"Here!" Chi-Chi handed her one of her Senzu beans, and Teena gingerly placed it into Videl's mouth.

"Hold on, girl... I'll help you..." Forgoing the chewing Teena everso gently massaged Videl's throat, careful in not causing any more damage to her neck as she forced the dying child to swallow the Senzu. And almost immediately the Senzu took effect, Videl gasping for air as she sat up.

"... neck's still stiff..." Videl rubbed the soreness away as best she can, then looked to a relieved Teena. "... hey."

"Hey, yourself..." Teena hugged Videl tightly, sighing in deep relief. "God, girl... I'm so sorry... I nearly got you killed... Videl, please forgive me..."

"It's okay..." Videl hugged back. "I'm still alive, right?"

"... yeah..." Teena sighed once more, then looked to Vegeta and the Giant Ape. "... what's with the extra monkey?"

"That's Celipa..." answered Videl. "... she kept her promise."

"Isn't she supposed to be dead, though?" Chi-Chi wondered. "... twenty-three years dead?"

"Zombie monkey?" Mai queried.

"No, she's not all rotted and Romeroish..." Teena observed. "She may need a little help, though. Stay here, guys! Time to go spank the monkey!" She paused. "... uh... the male one. And, uh... I'm just... kinda digging a deeper hole here, aren't I?"

"Pretty much," Chi-Chi answered.

"Yeah," added Mai.

"... right." Teena sighed, then rocketed forward towards the battle between the two Saiyans.

"DIE, YOU BASTARD!!" Celipa screamed, as she swatted Vegeta down, but the Saiyan prince quickly got up from it, sprinting from Celipa, ignoring the pain of his injuries, and dodging blows from her. Leaping into the air, he dropkicked her in the face, causing her to stagger back, setting her up for a barrage of energy blasts, hitting her square in the head and torso. As dust surrounded the area Vegeta slumped back, panting tiredly.

_If I weren't so wounded..._ cursed Vegeta. _I don't have enough time to... destroy the moon, so I-I've got to cut her tail off...!!_ Generating an energy disc from his hand, he prepared to fling the attack directly at Celipa's tail the moment she emerged from the dust cloud.

Until he was kicked in the face by Teena, knocked a good ten feet away.

"No fair stealing our moves..." Teena penalized. "You don't see _ME_ using your Garlic Gun or whatever."

"You must be Teena, aren't you?"

Teena blinked as she heard the baritone, growling voice behind her, and turned to see Celipa loom down at her. "... And you're Celipa," Teena replied. "Nice to finally meet you, though you're bigger and hairier than advertized."

Celipa smirked. "Videl was right. You have a dry wit about you..." she paused, sighing sadly. "... Videl..."

"Don't worry, she's okay. We got to her in time..." Teena assured Celipa. "C'mon, Vegeta's not done yet. What say we team up on him?"

Celipa smiled. "I can work with that."

"All right, monkey girl... let's go ape." Both Teena and Celipa focused their gazes on Vegeta as he staggered to his feet, and as he noticed the unwanted attention he was getting, his eyes widened.

"D-damn it all--!!" he cursed.

Teena was the first to get to Vegeta, and though Vegeta managed to meet her advance with a forearm shot Teena blocked it, retaliating with a sweep to the legs. With her unmatched speed she seized his ankle in mid-air and swung him around, flinging him to Celipa, rampaging at Vegeta with all the subtlety of an enraged rhino. Vegeta felt a senses-shattering backhand from the Giant Ape, knocked back towards Teena, who swung a kick out and caught his left arm.

Snapping it like a tree branch.

Vegeta screamed in agony as he grasped his useless broken arm, and Teena flew back, for a split instant giving reprieve. _... there's that deja vuness again..._

"IDIOT!!" Vegeta quickly generated the energy disc with his good arm, flinging it directly at Teena, the arm straight and true to take the cyborg's head from her shoulders.

"LOOK OUT!!" But Celipa pushed Teena away to safety, twisting around in time for her tail to be hacked from her body. "... d-dammit--!"

"At least... I cut _YOU_ down to... size, traitor..." Vegeta scoffed, as Celipa began to revert back to her humanoid form. Celipa glanced down at her shrinking form, and then at Teena, who stood up to witness Celipa's change.

"... five seconds left," Celipa growled.

Celipa suddenly flung himself at Vegeta while she was still gargantuan enough to be a dire threat. Vegeta gasped out, unable to move from such a huge obstacle.

And the end result was similar to a fly being hit by a freight train.

Celipa landed on top of Vegeta, crushing him under her shrinking girth. Then vaulted off of him with her hands, landing to her feet fully transformed back to her humanoid form.

"There... that should do--" Celipa blinked, tipping over and falling flat on her face unceremoniously. "... ow."

"Celipa!" Videl shouted, as she and Teena flew to the female Saiyan's side, as did Mai and Chi-Chi. "Wow, that was cool, the way you flattened Vegeta!" she praised.

"Uh, you gonna be okay?" asked Teena. "The way you kinda tipped over and all..."

"Yeah... my balance's just thrown off-kilter, is all..." Celipa said. "... he cut my tail off... bastard cut my tail off..."

"Don't worry... I'm sure Bulma can get the best doctors to re-attach it," assured Videl.

"... no way..." Mai blinked, seeing Vegeta very slowly move, pulling some kind of remote from under his cracked and ruined armor. "... what is he made of...?!"

"... can't _ANYTHING_ kill him...?!" exclaimed Chi-Chi.

Vegeta typed a single command, then collapsed, exhausted and injured, unable to fight a moment more. "... never... never before... have I had to retreat..." Vegeta scowled. "... d... damn it all..."

"Look!" Videl pointed up as a singular spherical spacecraft floated down, landing several feet from Vegeta. "It's a space pod... Vegeta's retreating!"

"Good. Let him go, then..." Teena said. "Least he knows better, now... he won't make trouble on Earth ever again."

"... Teena..." Celipa shook her head. "That's just wishful thinking..."

Videl nodded sadly. "Vegeta _WILL_ come back... he's not gonna let this defeat go past him."

"There's more..." Celipa added. "We Saiyans are born warriors. The more we battle, the stronger we grow. And the stronger the opponent, the more power we gain."

"... say what...?" Teena blinked.

"I'd... listen to them..." Vegeta whispered, slumping into the space pod. "N... next time, little girls... there won't be... any miracles..." he smirked evilly at Teena as the pod began to close shut. "Enjoy your lives... while you can..." The pod closed shut, vibrating silently, then rocketed upward into the sky.

"... Teena...?" Videl looked up at her, seeing her visible disappointment, her head lowered, bangs obscuring her eyes. "Teena, I--"

"... next time..." Teena repeated, as she raised her head to the sky.

"... damn her... damn them both..." Vegeta growled as the space pod left Earth's atmosphere. "The puppet _AND_ the traitor... I'll make them regret they... ever let me live...!!"

Teena suddenly flew up, face-to-face with a surprised Vegeta, Razor Discs igniting, spinning within her palms.

"..." Vegeta glared at her with his good eye, realizing what was to come next. Then with rage in his heart, he screamed out in anger

Rewind.

"... next time..." Teena repeated, as she raised her head to the sky. "... SCREW THAT NOISE."

And Teena exploded from the ground, shooting up towards the sky. A split second later, the sky lit up with a small explosion. Celipa's eyes were wide when she realized what Teena had done.

".. she killed Vegeta..."

"... well... GOOD," Chi-Chi replied to Celipa. "He deserved it. He killed our friends... him and that oaf of his... threatened to kill everyone on Earth. No one's going to miss an evil bastard like him. Ever."

Bulma sat silent in her chair, then sighed softly. _"... well, the danger's passed, at least... I'll contact the King and let him know it's safe to come back up now... uhm..."_ Bulma cocked her head. _"... shouldn't Teena be coming down any time now?"_

Teena floated in the sky. Curled up into a ball, trembling with emotion, face hidden as she wept.

The evil had been vanquished. Millions of lives saved. But at the cost of valued friends. Loved ones.

Puar.

Ran Fuan.

Tein.

Chiaotzu.

Piccolo.

Kami.

Krillin.

For an essentially immortal being like Teena, the loss of mortal friends... whether by natural causes or by other ways... was never easy for her. And with the Dragon Balls gone, unable to undo the tragedy that had occurred...

Teena hugged herself as that realization set in, weeping heavier in emotion-wounded agony.

Sure, it was easy to hide it behind a wisecrack or the sense of duty Teena had to endure. But now that it was done, Teena had let go with her emotions, letting it all fall from her like a cascading waterfall.

Teena knew the truth... virtual immortality was never a gift.

It was a curse.

The next day.

"So, what the overall status on everything, Bulma?" Teena asked, as the two women walked down the hallways of Capsule Corp.

"Well, East City is... well, it doesn't really exist anymore," Bulma replied. "There's nothing left, not even ruins. It's gonna take years... decades even, to rebuild everything. But the main thing is that there were absolutely no casualties there thanks to the S.A.F.E. Houses. Last I heard the East City residents moved in with friends and family all over, so that's good at least. The only real casualties through this were... well, the four guards Nineteen killed in World City. Plus... well, the others..."

"I see..." Teena sighed softly, turning away towards their destination, one of the many conference rooms in Capsule Corp.

"I have the bodies stored in Dynocaps..." Bulma continued. "They're in a carrying case in my room right now... my very own portable morgue, yay me..." she sighed, shaking her head. "... sorry, gallows humor."

"It's okay..." Teena said.

"Guess we'll have to hold a funeral for them all sooner or later..."

"Hold off on that... Chi-Chi asked for this meeting to address the Dragon Balls. Whatever Krillin told her, it had to have the big seal of importantness stamped on."

"Well, okay..." Bulma nodded, as the two reached the conference room. Entering the room, Teena and Bulma could see that Chi-Chi, Yamcha, Mai, Videl, and even Celipa were there. "Celipa... I didn't expect you to be out of the hospital this early."

"Eh, hospitals are no use to a dead woman..." Celipa shrugged. "Uhm, thanks for trying to re-attach my tail, by the way."

"Well, we tried..." Bulma stated. "But the severance points were cauterized. Re-attaching it was an impossibility."

"And I can't grow it back _BECAUSE_ of the cauterizing..." Celipa sighed, looking behind her to the point where her tail would have began, grown from the base of her spine. "But at least you removed the stump, too... I can pass myself off as a human now... but I'm still going to miss having it around..."

"Okay... so, what's up?" asked Yamcha. "Why're we here?"

"Chi-Chi?" Teena looked to the Oriental princess. "On your soapbox, girl."

"Thanks..." Chi-Chi smiled, and stood up out of her chair. "... the Saiyans found out about the Dragon Balls and their wish-granting powers through Raditz's scouter... the one reason why they were here was to get the Dragon Balls. But they noticed Piccolo... they called him a 'Namekian.' They made it sound like he and Kami were originally aliens..."

"Namekians... on Earth, I see..." Celipa crossed her arms. "Now it makes sense why Nappa and Vegeta would bother with this planet."

"Then they said something else..." Chi-Chi continued. "Something along the lines of... 'it's true that there are globes that grant wishes on the planet Namek... if we don't get them here, we should just go there...'"

"... whoa... more Dragon Balls?!" Yamcha exclaimed.

"... yeah, that's right! I heard that too!" Videl confirmed.

"So... if we can find a way to get to this planet of the Nameks, we can find the Dragon Balls, and we can restore everyone back to life!" Chi-Chi concluded.

"... Piccolo would come back to life, too!" Mai realized.

"Ahh... and with him, Kami!" Teena smiled. "And _OUR_ Dragon Balls would come back, too! Great plan, Chi-Chi!"

"Don't thank me, it was Krillin's idea..." Chi-Chi corrected.

"... so that's our one hope?" Bulma questioned. "Another planet? Uh... I don't mean to bust anyone's bubble but how are we even going to find out where this planet is?"

"Give me a crack at it..." Teena said. "I bet King Kai would know. Hell, he _IS_ the Lord of Worlds, he's gotta know."

_"Of course I know!"_ King Kai's disembodied voice echoed throughout the room.

"... uh..." Mai blinked. "Did I hear that just now?"

"We all did..." Chi-Chi confirmed.

_"Well first, let me just say that you did very well, all of you!"_ King Kai praised. _"Even you, Celipa... though I wonder if you're going to get in trouble for your actions getting here..."_

"... Celipa...?" Videl looked up at her first mentor, who smiled sadly, mussing up Videl's hair.

"Whatever happens, happens..." Celipa replied. "I knew the consequences breaking out of Hell. But to save Videl's life I'd do it all over again."

_"Hmm... well, death isn't normally my jurisdiction... but when you do get sent back, I'll speak on your behalf, of your bravery, to Lord Enma... maybe he'll show leniency and send you to Heaven for it."_

"... no, I don't deserve it..." Celipa said softly. "I'm still a mass murderer, despite all the children I saved in life and despite what I did yesterday. I deserve no penance... the ruling against me was fair."

_"... a shame..."_ King Kai sighed. _"Still, it's your decision. Anyhow... the coordinates to planet Namek..."_ King Kai pulled out a sourcebook and looked through it. _"Let's see... in Earth terms... it'd be bearing SU83... 9045YX..."_

"..." Bulma blinked, a look of surprise on her face. "... no way..." Quickly she took a calculator from a table and began her computations. "If my calculations are on the dot..."

_"The planet Namek was once a paradise,"_ King Kai recalled. _"But it suffered a climatic cataclysm a long time ago. Many Namekians died out, but if I'm not mistaken, they survived... about a hundred of them, I believe."_

"... a hundred Piccolos..." Mai blinked. "... eep..."

_"Don't worry. Namekians are mostly a peaceful race, just like Kami of Earth was. The Demon King Piccolo was most likely corrupted by the malicious humans he met along the way."_

"Guys... just finished the calculations..." Bulma announced. "I figured the time it'd take to reach Namek with the fastest engine my dad's made, which would be the fastest in the world. Anybody want to take a guess?"

"... I know," Teena answered. "But... I'll let you read it out since you're the super-genius and I'm just the biomechanical cyborg with the turbo-charged brain."

Bulma stuck her tongue out at Teena playfully, then looked at the LED readout on the calculator. "... Okay, it's going to be... four thousand three hundred thirty-nine years and three months getting there. Hope nobody's in a hurry..."

"Yep, that's about right..." Teena sighed, leaning back in her chair. "So, how're we gonna figure this out?"

"If I had a working scouter I could call Lady Aise..." Celipa said. "She'd be more than happy to help."

"Hey, wait! What about Nappa's space pod!" Videl suggested.

"Hey, that's a good idea!" Bulma smiled. "I think we have it back at Capsule Corp! We must've extracted it from East City by now! If we can analyze it, maybe we can use it!"

"You'll need the remote..." Celipa reached into her battle jacket and pulled it out. "Lucky for you guys I got this from Vegeta. And I can read the language on it. Don't want you to accidentally self-destruct the pod, right?"

"... w-we can do it, then...!" Bulma said happily. "Celipa... you understand the technology better than I do, can you help me?"

"I'd be happy to," answered Celipa.

"Hope at last..." Chi-Chi smiled, and she looked to Teena. "Feeling better now?"

"I'll feel oodles of better after we get the gang all back together..." Teena smiled back. "... but I'm getting there."

TO BE CONTINUED.


	10. Chapter One

Taken from the biography "Digital Angel" by Bulma Briefs:

_Once upon a time..._

_That's how most fantasy tales start. With a "once upon a time" in the beginning and a "happily ever after" at the end._

_Though it was no fantasy what happened several years ago. It wasn't real either. More surreal, looking back at what happened._

_I was sixteen back then... a young, beautiful, brilliant woman spending my summer vacation doing some exploring. I didn't expect to find too much. But what I would find would not only change my life, but the lives of everyone on Earth._

_I would find a hero._

**THE 18TH**  
"Chapter One"  
By  
Ken Blackwell

September 1st, 754 A.D.

Bulma Briefs stepped out from her car, looking around at the wilderness that surrounded her. With a sigh, she pulled out a circular device and examined the blinking dots before her in the LED readout.

_Let's see... it's got to be right around here... maybe... northwest?_ she glanced up at the immediate direction, then shook her head. _Damn... good thing I charged up the car's battery this morning. I still got a ways to go..._ Sliding back into the car she switched on its ignition and drove northwest, following the compass-like device.

After several minutes of driving, Bulma hit the brakes, a huge mountain range right in front of her.

"..." Bulma sighed deeply, getting out of the car as she stared up at the mountain range. "... crap, if I had known I'd be doing some mountain climbing I would've brought gear with me..." Reaching into the car she flipped a switch on the dashboard. And moments later it vanished with a poof, leaving behind a small capsule. Bulma then extracted a case from her pouch, placing the capsule alongside several others.

_Well... better get going..._ she finalized.

And so Bulma started climbing. And while she had very little experience in the matter, she managed to do adequately well, despite a few harrowing close calls when an occasional hand or foot hold would give way from her. After a good twenty minutes worth, Bulma finally made it halfway, and she collapsed to her stomach, panting heavily and giving thanks that her New Year's resolution to take aerobics classes had paid off.

"... okay... n-no... no more climbing..." she gasped. _... I should see if I can go around it from here then climb down..._ Sitting up onto her knees, she gave pause as she spotted something perplexing; a glint of metal before her under the rocky mountain wall itself.

_That's weird..._ Bulma thought as she stood up, walking closer towards it as curiosity overtook her, inspecting the metal intently. _This looks like a door of some kind! And it's ajar, too... hm, I could squeeze through it, I think... but should I even bother?_ Bulma pulled out the compass-like device once more. _Hm... well, they're not going anywhere... I can afford a quick look-see inside, then._

Bulma wriggled herself in-between the steel doors of the hidden entranceway, giving an extra bit of thanks she added a diet with the aerobics workouts. She found herself in a very dim room; very little illumination shone through, but Bulma could make out several pieces of electrical equipment, as well as a series of computers, as her vision adjusted to the darkness.

_Looks like I'm in some kind of lab... almost like Daddy's!_ Bulma realized. She then recalled that she brought a flashlight with her just in case her travels would take a subterranean turn. Pulling it from her pouch she switched it on.

Directly in the path of a body.

Bulma screamed in fright, dropping the flashlight to the floor. Placing a hand to her mile-a-minute beating heart, she blinked once in surprise. "W-what the hell _WAS_ that?!" she exclaimed out loud. Snatching the flashlight back up, she warily brought its beam back towards what she found, and her fears were confirmed.

Bulma had found a dead body. It was a girl, about three or four years older than she was. Blonde hair that stretched down to her neck, her body entirely nude from head to toe as she floated in a coffin-like container, immersed in greenish fluid.

_... sick..._ Bulma thought in disgust. _Who would be so twisted to... to pickle a dead girl in a jar like this?!_ Bulma whispered a prayer for the dead girl's soul, then glanced at a desk nearby, and a seemingly intact computer. _This must belong to the freak who did this... future police evidence, I bet... better make sure first..._ Bulma sat down in front of it, switching it on and waited for it to boot up.

_Good morning, Dr. Gero._ the computer's automated voice greeted.

"... Huh?" Bulma blinked. _Where have I heard that name before... oh, I remember! Dr. Klaus Gero! In an academic journal I read for a school project! He was a top scientist, specializing in robotics and a new medium called... oh, what did he call it... biocybernetics! Everyone who knew him said he was a jerk, but he was still a genius..._ Bulma glanced back at the lifeless girl in the container. _... now it looks like he's also a murderer... poor girl must've been kidnapped and..._ she sighed sadly, shaking her head.

"... what did I get myself into..." whined Bulma. "I knew I should've just..." With a sigh, she took the mouse in hand and clicked on the "My Computer" icon. "Oh, well... no turning back now..." Upon opening the file she came across two folders, marked "#17" and #18." Curiosity overtaking her once again, she clicked on the "#17" folder icon first.

**ACCESS DENIED  
ENTER CONFIRMATION CODES  
**OK Cancel

"..." Bulma blinked, getting the message on-screen. "... okay, whatever..." After clicking on the "Cancel" button she moved the mouse cursor to the "#18" folder, clicking on it.

**WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACTIVATE THE 18TH?**  
Yes No

Bulma cocked her head. _The 18th? The 18th what? Sounds almost like some kind of video game or something... normally I'd love to play a game or two but I got a dead girl in an oversized pickle jar next to me!_ She brought the mouse cursor to the "No" button. But hesitated. _It... could be a ploy, though. Dr. Gero's a genius... he probably set this up to make it look unsuspicious..._

Bulma shifted the cursor to the left, clicking "Yes." And Bulma watched as various programs began loading at a rapid pace on-screen, not noticing the dead girl in the container twitching at random intervals.

**ACTIVATION COMPLETE**  
OK

"... well, that was a whole lot of nothing..." Bulma sighed. ".. what WAS that all about, anyhow?" Getting up from the computer she stretched her back and arms out, then pulled out a cell phone. "Better call the police already... they can handle it, I've wasted enough time here." She walked from the computer, then glanced over to the girl in the container. "... tough luck... well, rest in peace. At least you're in a better place."

The girl's eyes suddenly snapped open.

"..." Bulma stared back, dumbstruck as she stepped back in shock, the girl's eyes ice blue, with an equally icy stare. Her fists clenched, and the girl reared back, punching through the container and shattering the glass effortlessly. Bulma fell backward, landing on her posterior as the formerly-dead-now-very-lively naked girl dropped down from the destroyed container, staring coldly at Bulma.

"Where is he?" the girl asked flatly.

"W-who...?" Bulma stammered.

"Dr. Gero."

"I-I don't know... I just... f-found you and tinkered with the c-computer and..." Bulma paused as the girl went to the computer, typing in confirmation codes only she knew. "... I thought you were dead."

"I was in stasis," the girl corrected. "... for 12 years, according to records..." she signed softly, then looked around. "... my brother's gone. And everything's a wreck." She glanced towards Bulma. "... who are you?"

"Uh... I, uh..." Bulma then remembered the pistol she had holstered to her side, and quickly pulled it out, aiming it at the girl. "Okay, back off!! I don't know what's g-going on but I don't want any part of it!!"

"If you don't know what's going on, then perhaps it was stupid of you to pull a gun on me." The girl glared at Bulma with her icy stare, as she approached her.

"STAY BACK!!" Bulma screamed, and she pulled the trigger, the gun discharging directly towards the girl's chest. But she didn't recoil... showing absolutely no signs of being shot, not even an entrance wound. The girl raised an arm out to the side, dropping the still-hot bullet she had caught to the floor, and she pushed Bulma aside, forcing her to fall to her knees as she reached a locker with the number "18" etched in the door. Bulma stared at the bullet on the ground in astonishment, then looked back at the girl, who had impossibly dug her fingers into the metal locker door, ripping it from its hinges as if it were made of construction paper.

_... this can't be happening... she caught that bullet...! She... she ripped open that locker... it's... like she's immune to the very laws of physics...!!_

Bulma continued to watch as the girl pulled a set of clothes from the locker, and promptly began to dress herself with them. And in a matter of moments, she was no longer nude; she was now clad in a black long-sleeved T-shirt, the sleeves white with black stripes, as well as brown buckled boots, a blue denim miniskirt with black tights underneath, and a blue denim jacket with the sleeves ripped off, a red ribbon-like insignia on the back with twin "Rs" within, side to side. She looked back at Bulma, still with that cold stare of hers, then raised a hand towards her, palm facing her, an action that left Bulma confused somewhat.

"..." The girl hesitated. Then lowered her hand with a sigh, turning around and walking towards the exit.

"... w-wait!" Bulma stood up, an idea forming as she approached the girl. "Hey, wait up!"

"The only reason why I didn't kill you just now was because I didn't feel like it," the girl stated abruptly. "... there was no need. Plus.. you're the first human I've seen in so long. So if you want to continue doing that in-out-in-out action with your lungs, I suggest you leave me alone. I have a brother to find."

"Well... m-maybe we can help each other then!"

"You have nothing that I want."

"That may not necessarily be true... look, just give me five minutes to explain, okay?"

"..." the girl crossed her arms, unamused. "Five minutes. You better not bore me. I get cranky when I'm bored."

"Okay, okay... fair enough..." Bulma reached into her pouch, pulling out two fist-sized orange spheres, one with two stars within it glowing faintly, the other with five stars. "Check _THESE_ out!!"

"... wow, oversized novelty marbles..." the girl said flatly. "I can hardly contain my excitement."

"No no... they're called 'Dragon Balls!'" corrected Bulma.

"Severed dragon testicles. You're right, that's MUCH better."

"..." Bulma sighed. "Can I _PLEASE_ explain, Cynical Lass?"

The girl shrugged. "Go on, go on..."

"All right..." Bulma held the two-starred sphere in her hand. "I found this one in my cellar back home... I had no idea what it was and neither did anyone else I asked. So I did some research and I found this old old story that described them. There were originally seven Dragon Balls, and each of them glows with the light of the tiny stars inside, from one to seven."

"... so you're collecting them, then. Why?"

"That's the amazing part! When you get all seven, and you chant just the right chant, you can summon Shenlong, the Eternal Dragon! He'll grant you ANY wish!"

"... and you believe that..." the girl asked, still skeptical.

"Yeah, I know... it all sounds farfetched, but the last person who collected the Dragon Balls became King! Just like that! He obviously wished for it, but the Dragon Balls flew off to the ends of the Earth after they were used, leaving li'l me to bring them back together after so many centuries!" Bulma stood up with a giggle. "And I've already settled on a wish, too! At first I wanted a lifetime supply of strawberries, but now I think I'm gonna go for a super-cute boyfriend!!"

"... mm, hm..." the girl sighed. "Well, I'll leave you to your little fantasies, then. I'm gone."

"Wait!" Bulma pleaded as the girl turned to leave. "We... uhm, we can use them to find your brother!"

"..." the girl turned back around to look at Bulma. "... you _DO_ realize that there's hardly any proof that this 'Eternal Dragon' even exists, right?"

"You've never been on an adventure before, have you? C'mon, the fun's all about seeing if it _IS_ true! So are you comin' with or not?"

"... fine..." the girl relented. "I guess I _AM_ just a little bit curious to see if this Dragon's real or not..."

Bulma smiled as she placed the two Dragon Balls back into her pouch. _Perfect! She's strong enough to be an ideal bodyguard. And she doesn't need to know that the Dragon Balls only grant ONE wish!!_ "All righty then! Let the adventure begin!"

"Okay... but how are we going to find the rest of them, exactly?" the girl asked, as she and Bulma exited the ruins of the laboratory.

"Easy... with this!" Bulma presented the compass-like device to the girl. "It's the Dragon Radar! I noticed that the Balls give off a faint electromagnetic pulse, so I invented this! See, these two in the center are the ones I have now, and the next closest is about a hundred miles northwest!"

"Not bad..." the girl remarked. "You're not only cute, but smart too."

"Oooh, I'm much more than cute..." Bulma replied smugly. "By the way, what's your name?"

"..." the girl sighed softly, turning her head. "... I don't have one."

Bulma blinked. "Huh?"

"Not one I can remember, anyhow... only a number." she glanced up at Bulma. "... Eighteen."

"... oh..." Bulma cocked her head. _Wow, and I thought _MY_ parents were weird to name me after bloomers! But it makes sense... she must be this "18th" the computer... activated... oh my God, she must be one of Dr. Gero's experiments in biocybernetics!_ "Well... my name's.... Bulma."

"Ah... okay," Eighteen nodded.

"... you're... not gonna poke fun at my name?" queried Bulma.

"I don't have a real name of my own. So who am I to judge?"

"Hm, yeah... that would bring _ANYONE_ down..." Bulma pulled out her Dynocapsule case and extracted one marked with the number 9. She then paused, smiling. "I know! I think we should call you by a more normal name! How about... 'Teena?'"

"'Teena?'" Eighteen blinked.

"Yeah, 'Teena!' A shorter, feminine abbreviation of 'Eighteen!'"

"..." Eighteen turned away, head lowered... an action that gave Bulma pause.

"... you don't like it..." Bulma dreaded.

"... on the contrary..." Eighteen turned to face Bulma with the first smile she had seen from the normally emotional-as-ice girl. "... I love it."

"Awesome!" Bulma cheered, tossing the Dynocap to the ground, manifesting a slick custom-built motorcycle from it. "Let's go then!"

Eighteen... the newly christened Teena... cocked her head as Bulma mounted the bike. Then shrugged as she sat down behind her, and the two girls rode off towards the northwest.

---

Taken from the biography "Digital Angel" by Bulma Briefs:

_Granted, it was a rough start to our friendship. I made a promise to Teena... that I would help her find her brother... that I had no intentions of keeping; I admit it, back then I was very selfish. I like to think I've outgrown that by now. And Teena, fresh out of the stasis pod, was very impersonal... still tied somewhat to the whole "killing machine" programming that Dr. Gero encoded into her._

_Ten minutes into our journey though, a bit of the Teena we now know shone through when she saved my life for the first time..._

---

"GYAAHH!!!!" Bulma screamed as she and Teena jumped a hill on the motorcycle, flying a good twenty feet before landing hard, skidding to a halt. "... whew...!"

"Wow, that was one steep hill..." remarked Teena, turning around back at it.

"Y-yeah... almost like flying, huh...?" Bulma said, as her heart beat rapidly from the thrill. She then blinked, feeling a familiar fullness in her abdomen. "Oop... uh, 'scuse me for a sec..."

"Hm?" Teena cocked her head curiously as Bulma dismounted from the motorcycle, then realized what Bulma was eluding to, nodding. "Oh, right... I'll wait then."

"Thanks! Won't take long!" Bulma quickly ran into a thicket of bushes nearby, and Teena sighed, propping her feet up on the handlebars, resting her head under her hands as she stared up at the sky.

_Going to the little girls' room..._ she mused. _How long has it been since I've done that? God, how long has it been since I've even eaten? Or drank anything?!_ She sighed softly, placing a hand over her chest. _I don't need to do any of that to survive now. All the energy I need... or ever _WILL_ need... is all in the power core that old bastard Gero stuck in me... I don't even need to sleep anymore, too._ A look of worriment crossed Teena's brow as dread crept into her. _... what if he took away my ability to dream...?! I don't remember dreaming when I was in the pod... God, if he did that to me, I swear I'll kill that son of a--_

Teena's train of thought was suddenly derailed as she heard Bulma's scream of fright echo through the air. She quickly got up out of the motorcycle's seat in time to see a pterodactyl fly off with a shrieking Bulma in its clutches.

"What a catch!!" the pterodactyl growled. "It's been far too long since I've tasted human female flesh!"

Bulma screamed louder, tears streaming down her face as it spoke of her impending fate. _No! It can't end like this!! I'm only sixteen! I don't want to be eaten by an overgrown flying lizard--!!_

"Hey, Rodan."

The pterodactyl and Bulma paused, seeing Teena... floating in the air right in front of them, arms crossed as she shot her cold stare at the dinosaur.

"... y-you can fly...?!" Bulma gasped.

"Humans can't fly!!" bellowed the pterodactyl. "What _ARE_ you?!"

"Like you said... not human." Teena raised her hand towards the monster much like what she had done with Bulma before. Only now energy crackled about her fingers, a glowing white ball of pure power forming from her palm. "You seem to speak just fine, so how about letting her go. Or else we'll be learning a new word. Can you say 'extinct?'"

"... E-extinct?!" stammered the dinosaur.

Teena smiled darkly. "I knew that you could."

"Gah... fine, I'll just settle for a tiger to eat! CATCH!!" The pterodactyl released Bulma unceremoniously, letting her plummet as it hastily retreated from Teena.

"Power Blitz."

Teena projected the burst of energy from her palm, striking the dinosaur from behind, shattering its body in an explosion of fried blood, cooked flesh, and burnt bones. She then glanced down at Bulma, falling towards the ground. Teena considered just letting her hit... that way she could just go off on her own to find her brother. She really didn't care about the Dragon Balls. She really didn't care about Bulma, either... she could have just let the dinosaur eat her alive...

"... damn."

Teena suddenly swooped down, grabbing Bulma under her arms just before she struck the ground below.

"Gotcha..." Teena managed a small smile. "You okay, Bulma?"

"OF COURSE I'M NOT OKAY!!" Bulma screamed. "I-I JUST PEED MY PANTS!!"

"... at least you're still alive, you know."

"Small comfort..." complained Bulma with a whimper.

"..." Teena dropped Bulma to the ground, now just a mere foot below her. Bulma landed on her backside with a yelp as Teena landed gracefully to her feet, walking away.

"Hey! What'd you do THAT for?!" Bulma shouted.

"The NEXT time you get in trouble don't expect me to save you!!" Teena snapped back. "You're an ungrateful little bitch! Wise up or else you're gonna end up dead! Either by something like that lizard. Or by me! GOT IT?!"

"..." Bulma whimpered softly, sniffling... then nodded slowly.

"... good." Teena turned back around, walking towards the motorcycle. "I'll let you get changed... try not to get killed doing THAT, would you?"

"..." Bulma slowly sat up, glaring at the departing Teena. "... takes a bitch to know one..." she hissed back under her breath.

---

Afterwards, little was said between Bulma and Teena. Bulma had decided to set up a Dynocap house for the night, and despite the general dislike between them, Bulma had convinced Teena to stay the night with her.

"Not bad..." Teena muttered, looking around. "Dynocapsules have come a long way in twelve years."

"Well, my dad _WAS_ the one who invented them..." Bulma stated.

"Good for him..." Teena glanced over to the futon. "... only one bed, I see."

"It's not like I planned to have someone tag along like you, you know... this _IS_ strictly a one-person house."

"Whatever... it's not like I need to sleep, anyhow."

"... Oh, so you think you're better than us lowly humans? Is that it?!"

"..." Teena remained silent, leaving Bulma's taunting query unanswered as she sat down in front of the television and switched it on.

"No way... you're not shutting me out here!" Bulma stood in front of the TV, glaring at Teena. "Answer me! _ARE_ you better than us?!"

"Don't you mean, 'better than you?'" Teena retorted. "In that case, hell yeah. You're a stuck-up, self-centered rich bratbitch who's so hung up on her own eccentricies to think of anyone other than herself."

"Look who's talking!!" snapped Bulma. "Ever since I got you out of that... that... whatever it was you've been nothing but an ice queen! You've been nothing but... but harsh! And hurtful!!"

"Good! The truth's _SUPPOSED_ to hurt!" Teena stood up. "Face facts... the real reason you can't get a boyfriend, that you want to wish for one, is standing right in front of me! Yeah, you're pretty and smart and that should be enough right there, but you come off as her Royal Bitchiness and that most obviously have put _EVERYONE_ who ever considered dating you off!!"

"... y-you..." Bulma was flabbergasted. "You can't talk like that to me!!"

"Funny, 'cause I just did!"

"... y-... y-you..." Bulma was speechless, unable to think of anything to retort against Teena.

"I'm not better than anyone else, anyhow..."

Bulma blinked, confused by the sudden change of mood. "... huh...?"

Teena walked away from Bulma. "... I'm a cyborg. Fifty percent of me is biomechanical. I'm stronger. Faster. Smarter. And tougher than a normal human. The power core in my chest runs on an unlimited source of energy. I don't need to eat, drink, sleep, or even breathe to live. I'm essentially immortal."

"... sounds like it's all 'better than us' to me..."

"It's not. My cybernetics keep me from aging. I don't know how old I am anymore... Gero wiped my mind so I can't remember anything of my past. But the bottom line is that I'm going to live virtually forever. I'm going to outlive you... and everyone else." Teena walked towards the door, but stopped, looking back at Bulma with a very sad gaze.

"It scares the hell out of me," she added with a hint of finality.

She turned back around, exiting the house and leaving a perplexed Bulma not knowing what to think.

Teena looked out at the night sky, at the stars above. Then sighed sadly, pushing herself off the ground and flying away.

---

Taken from the biography "Digital Angel" by Bulma Briefs:

_While Teena left to clear the air between us, I laid in bed wide awake, thinking about what she said. Sure, I was still angry at her for calling me a bitch but after thinking about it, I realized that perhaps, her hang-ups were worse than mine. I mean, here I was, worried that I'll never get a boyfriend despite how beautiful I was. And then there's Teena, who can't remember her past, the only family that she can remember was missing, and she was afraid of her own immortality. Thinking about it, I realized I had it easy compared to her... it was Teena whose life was irrevocably ruined. And here I was, lying to her that I'd help her find her brother._

_I ended up feeling about five levels lower than pond scum. And I despised Teena even more for making me feel that way about myself._

_So I decided that we should go out separate ways; I packed up and left before Teena returned... we'd be better off that way, I believed. She could find her brother, and I could continue on my merry way, too._

_At least... that was the plan..._

---

Bulma checked the Dragon Radar as she sat in the seat of her motorcycle. Then looked up from it, seeing an old Oriental-style cabin out in the middle of virtually nowhere. "Wow, how rustic..." she remarked. "But there _IS_ a Dragon Ball inside!" With an elated giggle she put the Radar away and revved up the motorcycle, riding off towards it. Once getting there she dismounted, walking towards the door.

"Hm... doesn't seem to be anyone home..." Bulma said to herself, looking around. "Abandoned... oh, well. Saves me the trouble of asking anyone to..." Bulma paused as a shadow loomed over her. Cautiously turning around, she looked up, seeing a huge bear clad in bandit's armor, a mohawk on its head and its left eye scarred and blind.

"Friend of the old man, are you?" the bear thief growled, drawing his huge scimitar.

"W-wha?!" Bulma gasped, reaching over, her hands shaking as she went for her gun.

"You better be pulling that out just to drop it to the ground..." the bear thief warned. "I can cleave you in two even before you get a shot off!"

Trembling, Bulma unholstered the gun, tentatively dropping it to the side. "I-I don't know any old man..." she whimpered.

"Is that so... well, that's all fine and good, I'll just rob you, then!" The bear thief leered at Bulma in a mix of lust and hunger. "Strip, girl."

Bulma blinked. "W-what--?!"

"I can search your clothes easier when you're not wearing them... and if you don't have anything I want, I can eat you without worrying about getting any clothing stuck between my teeth!"

"... what is it about big disgusting beasts and wanting to eat pretty girls, anyhow?!"

"It's fun and sadistic... plus human female flesh is delicious, too. Now, get to it! I don't want to see a stitch of clothing on you!!"

"Not so quick, Kuma!!"

Both Bulma and the bear thief paused, turning around to see a rotund old man, possibly in his mid-to-late eighties, a thick bushy moustache on his face as he held a crimson staff in his hands, standing ready for battle.

"How bold of you, Kuma... attacking a pretty girl on my property..." the old man gripped his staff. "Maybe you should be moving along now..."

"Maybe I should... for now..." Kuma sheathed his blade, tentatively backing off. "... but you and I both know you can't play hero forever!!" And with that, the bear thief turned tail, retreating from the old man and Bulma.

"... you saved me..." Bulma smiled as the old man approached her. "Thank you..."

"Ah, just doing the right thing, is all... a vile monster, that Kuma is... robbing people blind, sometimes eating them if he's hungry or bored... but right now, my manners are certainly lacking!" The old man bowed. "Son Gohan, at your service. And you are..."

"Oh, uhm... Bulma Briefs..."

"Briefs, eh? Your daddy's the CEO of Capsule Corporation!"

"That's right! How did you--"

"Just because I'm an old hermit doesn't mean I'm blind to civilization... but you're a long way from West City, my dear..." Son Gohan entered his cabin, stepping aside to allow Bulma in. "Please, enter."

"Thanks... and you're right, I _am_ a long way from West City, and for good reason, too..." she entered the cabin, pulling out her two Dragon Balls. "I'm collecting the other five of these."

"Ahh, I see..." Son Gohan nodded sagely. "And is there a reason why you wish to summon the Eternal Dragon, child?"

"Uh, well... to find a boyfriend, really..." admitted Bulma, as she blushed.

"An unusual wish... but at least it isn't for something more sinister..." Son Gohan walked to a dresser drawer, opening it and fishing out a familiar orange sphere, this one with four stars glowing within.

"Ah, the Four Star Dragon Ball! Awesome!" Bulma then paused, cocking an eyebrow. "Wait, you're just giving this to me? What's the catch?"

"No catch..." Son Gohan sat down into a chair with a tired sigh. "Kuma was right when he said I can't play hero forever. I'm dying, child... but I've lived a rich and full life. I've no regrets... though I wish I had... oh, I don't know, a grandson..." he smiled thoughtfully. "In any case... I'd rather give the Four Star Dragon Ball to a girl with romance in her heart than have it stolen by a ruffian like Kuma. I've always been a softie for young ladies like you."

"..." Bulma stared at the Four Star Dragon Ball as Son Gohan handed it to her. "... you seem like a wise old man, I guess... so... uhm..."

"Yes?" asked Son Gohan.

"It'd be self-centered of me to just wish for a boyfriend when someone else may need the wish more. Wouldn't it?"

"Hmm..." Son Gohan pondered the question thoughtfully. "How old are you, young lady?"

"Sixteen."

"Then you have plenty of time to grow up, become older and wiser... child, you don't need something as omnipotent as the Eternal Dragon to find love. Love will find you. It may take a while for it to happen, but when it does, you'll know. You'll feel it in your heart and your soul."

"Are you sure?"

"I know I am... Bulma, trust me. In some things, sometimes you just got to let nature take its course." Son Gohan paused, then tackled Bulma to the ground. "LOOK OUT!!" Suddenly a rush of wind rushed through the cabin, and slowly the upper half of it slid away, crashing to the outside.

"Show yourself, you old fool!" Kuma was heard to bellow. "No more stalemates! We finish this! Then I get the girl and everything else that's coming to me!!"

"He's got his confidence back up faster than normal... all right, we'll indeed finish this." Son Gohan picked up his staff, dusting himself off. "Bulma, stay here... out there is no place for a young lady right now."

Bulma nodded. "B-be careful..."

Son Gohan looked down to Bulma, smiling sadly. He then exited his destroyed home, picking up speed in his movements as he charged towards the waiting Kuma.

"DIE!!" Kuma screamed as he swung his scimitar at Son Gohan, but the old man showed surprising nimbleness, leaping behind the much larger foe as he readied his staff.

"Nyoibo! Extend!!" The crimson staff suddenly projected outward as Son Gohan swung it, tripping Kuma to the ground, then using it to vault himself into the air, drawing back his hands--

"KA... ME... HA... ME... HAAA!!!!"

--and he fired off a spectacular beam of chi from his outstretched palms directly at Kuma, who rolled out of the way of the attack. "You left yourself wide open, old fool!" Kuma jumped to his his feet, swinging the sword directly at the descending Son Gohan. "IT'S OVER!!"

The blade was suddenly stopped before it could cut Son Gohan, and Kuma blinked, seeing his weapon in-between the slender hands of a beautiful cornsilk-tressed woman clad in blue denim, floating in mid-air.

"What the hell?!" Kuma exclaimed.

Son Gohan landed safely, blinking in surprise. "A flying girl?"

"TEENA?!?" Bulma swiftly recognized.

Teena glanced at Bulma with an indifferent look, then turned towards Kuma. "Mr. Ruxpin, I presume. My, how the mighty have fallen..." she spoke with a dry sarcasm.

"You dare mock me?!" growled Kuma.

"Yes... yes, I do..." Teena smirked. "I should do it more often, I like it."

"Then I'm going to eat you alive, girl!!"

"..." Teena cocked her head, then released Kuma's sword and landed to the ground. "Somehow that irks me in a way I cannot fully comprehend."

"You think I'm scared of you?!" screamed Kuma. "GET IN MY BELLY!!!"

"No."

Kuma charged towards Teena with a roar, and she jumped back, avoiding his lunges almost effortlessly. "Stand still!! Stand still and let me eat you!!"

"I'm not even going explain how stupid that sounded." Teena avoided another lunge, then spun about and grabbed Kuma by the waist, twisting around to fling him with ease into a mountain wall.

"The girl's deceptively strong..." Son Gohan observed. An idea forming in his head, he took his Nyoibo, preparing to hurl it like a javelin. "Young lady, CATCH!" Son Gohan threw it to Teena, and she caught it, staring at it curiously. "Use the Nyoibo, child! It can grow on command! Use it to send Kuma away!"

"Hmm..." Teena smiled, then readied herself, pointing the Nyoibo outward. "Okay! GROW!!" And it projected outward at an astonishing length, catching Kuma in the gut. Teena then lifted the bear up in the air with the Nyoibo, swinging the staff and flinging Kuma many yards away from her, Bulma, and Son Gohan.

"Teena... y-you did it!" Bulma stood up, a look of relief and surprise on her face.

"Remarkable!" Son Gohan approached Teena as she retracted the length of the Nyoibo and handed it back to him. "You're a very strong young lady... I doubt Kuma would want to show his face around here now that he knows he was bested by a woman!"

"Thanks..." Teena nodded to Son Gohan, then glanced over to Bulma. "You know, I spent a good long time looking for you. I wasted seven hours of my life that I'll never get back, thanks to you."

"Uh... well, too bad!" retorted Bulma. "Who said you _COULD_ find me, huh? Maybe I didn't _WANT_ to be found!!"

"Ah, well thank you, and a _THOUSAND_ pardons, your Royal Pain-In-The-Highness! You know maybe you would've figured out _BY NOW_ that I _WANTED_ to find you! Because, oh well I don't know, I was actually _WORRIED?!_"

"Well... uh... m-maybe you worried over _NOTHING_ then! I can take care of myself!!"

"Oh, yeah! I noticed the whole 'cowering-in-fear-from-the-big-hungry-teddy-bear' reaction you were doing!"

"Ladies, ladies!!" Son Gohan stopped the arguing between Bulma and Teena, getting in-between them. "Really, the way the two of you are bickering on, people would think you were a married couple in a past life! Now surely the two of you can find some common ground, something the two of you can agree on!"

"Well... there _IS_ the whole Dragon Ball thing..." Teena admitted.

"Good, good! Now surely then you would want the same thing Bulma wants..."

"..." Bulma blinked. "Eep."

"... a boyfriend?"

"What?" Teena blinked. "No, I want to find my brother."

"Ah... so Bulma didn't tell you that Shenlong grants only one wish, then."

"..." Teena turned her head towards Bulma, her icy stare somehow feeling five times below it's usual absolute zero. "... you... selfish little bitch..."

"Okay, okay! So I might've... forgotten about that... a little..." Bulma stammered, holding her hands up in a "please-don't-kill-me" gesture. "But I-I've been thinking anyhow t-that maybe your needs are m-more important than mine! S-so I can be boyfriend-less for a-another year, okay?! W-we'll use them to look for your b-brother first! O-okay?!!"

"Well?" Son Gohan looked to Teena. "What say you?"

"That'll work..." Teena accepted, still bearing a distrusting stare at Bulma. "But you better not double-cross me, Bulma. I promise you you won't live long enough to regret it."

Bulma gulped, then nodded dejectedly. "... I won't betray you..." she said softly.

---

Taken from the biography "Digital Angel" by Bulma Briefs:

_And that's how Teena and I met... we didn't like each other at all at first, but as time moved on we came to understand each other more. We grew as erstwhile allies, and to this day, we're the best of friends. Sure, we still argue from time to time, but most best friends do._

_We never saw Son Gohan again after that day. Shortly after the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai where Teena defeated Piccolo we heard he had passed on. His teacher, Master Roshi, said he passed away in his sleep, while his fellow student, the Ox King, said a giant monster stepped on him. In any case, I think it's safe to say that Son Gohan's dead as a doornail. ;_

---

_So much has gone on since I released Teena from that stasis pod years ago. And Teena has changed a lot since then; sure, she's still cynical at times to those who deserve her verbal venom, but at the same time, she's become selfless. She has dedicated her life to helping others, whether it's through her remarkable strength and speed, donating countless zenie towards charities either directly or through her clothing line, annual swimsuit issues, or other merchandise._

_Back then I wondered if I had made the right decision freeing Teena. Now as I type this, I know I did._

_Teena is a digital angel, cast down from Heaven to protect us from evil._

_And I am proud of my best friend. Forever and always._

--TO BE CONTINUED.


	11. The Sickness

"Kaji 'Killer Kroc' Keiyama, you have been charged with nine counts of 1st degree murder. How do you plead?"

He looked up at the judge... a German shepard dressed appropriately in his role, and looked down at the reinforced steel chains that bound him, a muzzle over his face. Despite this, he managed a toothy grin as the burly crocodile morph answered the judge.

"... guilty."

The canine judge nodded. "Mr. Keiyama... you are the worst creature ever to step into my courtroom. You have confessed to killing and devouring nine innocent human women. Women who had rich vibrant lives ahead of them, and you in your sick and twisted actions, have taken those lives from them in the worst way possible. Before I pass sentence, have you anything to say in your final defense?"

"... you pretend to be so righteous..." the croc morph muttered. "Come now, we're animals. Our instincts are simple. Kill. Eat. Mate. Don't tell me, that when you see a cute human girl bouncing down the street you're actually attracted to her sexually... that's sick! No, the real response would be to seize her in your jaws, shake her like a rag doll until she stops screaming and eating her! Humans are food! _WE_ should be the ones hunting them down, ripping them apart and eating their tangy meat! We--"

The judge banged his gavel. "That's enough, I've heard enough! We've had a mutual understanding with humankind for centuries! And it's... animals like you that give honest hard-working morphs a bad reputation. It is hereby the decision of this court that you, Mr. Kaji Keiyama, be sentenced to death by lethal injection."

"Hmph... putting me to sleep, now? Figures... you domesticated neutered piece of--"

"GUARDS! Get this... _THING_ out of my sight!" And the guards quickly acted, carting the laughing croc morph away.

---

Seven years, five months later.

"This isn't good..." Detective Leah Gold... a beautiful red-haired woman in her late twenties... looked around in the blood-spattered college dorm, the scene of a gruesome crime. "Officer, how many?"

"... nine..." the panda morph police officer answered. "All human, all female. A couple of them... we've only been able to find an arm or a leg."

"... cripes, that's his M.O. all right..." Leah sighed, glancing at a blood-stained shroud covering what was left of a victim. "Double K sure didn't waste any time starting the killing spree back up... coroner's on the way?"

"Yes, ma'am... uhm..." the officer cocked his head inquisitively. "... what does he do with the bodies?"

"He eats them. Whole or piece by piece, alive or dead. But it's always messy."

"... oh..." the panda officer now looked as if he were sorry he even asked.

"Seven years ago my father was the one who caught him. Double K took his legs but he still got beat. Dad's career was over but he always said it was worth it to see Double K behind bars." Leah paused, hearing her cellphone go off, and she quickly answered it. "Gold."

_"Leah..."_ the voice of Police Chief Lupisen from her cellphone. _"... Double K's struck again... you better get down here ASAP."_

"Damn..." Leah shook her head. "Okay, where're you at?"

_"... your place..."_

"..." A feeling of dread suddenly shot through Leah like a bullet in the heart, and Leah swiftly turned on a heel and bolted down the stairs, exiting the dorm and getting on her motorcycle, tearing off down the road like a bat out of hell, ignoring the speed limit signs entirely as she exceeded 130 miles per hour. It took her only five minutes to get to the apartment building where she and her girlfriend Amy Freeman had lived, and seeing the squad cars and the ambulance parked in front only added to Leah's foreboding dread.

_God no, not her... please don't take her from me!_

"Leah!" Lupisen was the first to greet her as she quickly dismounted from her bike.

"Where is she?!" demanded Leah. "WHERE'S AMY?!!"

"She's alive, Leah... the EMTs got to her in time, and... and stopped the bleeding..."

"... bleeding..."

"... Double K took one of her arms... and a leg, too..."

"..." Leah blinked, then turned her head, noticing the EMTs wheeling a pretty blonde girl out. She noticed the empty spots where her right leg and left arm should be, and she felt sick to her stomach. Quickly she rushed over to her side, taking ahold of her remaining right hand, squeezing it tight. "Amy... I'm here, baby... I'm sorry... God, I'm sorry..."

Amy weakly squeezed her hand back, opening her lovely ruby red eyes as she managed a small smile. "... love you..." she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I love you too..." Leah replied, her own tears falling as she joined Amy in the back of the ambulance. "He'll pay for this... I promise, Amy... I promise..."

**THE 18TH**  
"The Sickness"  
By  
Ken Blackwell

Now.

"Screw that!!" Leah shouted at Lupisen, the two in his office. "You're _NOT_ taking me off this case!! Kurtis, please!! I _NEED_ this case!!"

"Leah, I'm sorry..." Lupisen replied. "... but ever since Amy was... attacked, this has become way too personal for you! You're not thinking clearly!"

"My thoughts're as clear as crystal here!" Leah retorted.

"Far from it! Leah, as far as I know you could gun Double K down in cold blood without following the letter of the law!"

"Well, he _IS_ a reptile."

"..." Lupisen sighed softly. "Leah, I can understand your position, believe me. If anything ever happened to my daughter I'd probably fly off the deep end, too. But... you know just as well as I do that there are procedures that must be followed. You've become too emotionally involved in this case and I don't want you to do something that you, Amy, and everyone else who cares about you will regret. Leah... please. Just step away from this. I don't want to suspend you. You're too good a cop for that."

Leah lowered her head, defeated as she sighed. "... promise me you'll nail that bastard to the wall, sir..."

"Don't worry, we will... he'll screw up, and we'll get him." Lupisen stood up and pat Leah on the shoulder. "Now go home, get some rest, Leah. You look like hell."

"Yessir... thank you, sir..." Leah turned and walked away, exiting Lupisen's office and the precinct, mounting her motorcycle and riding down the road.

_They can't catch Double K... I know that son of a bitch better than anyone. But there's no way I can take him on my own, that's all-out suicide. But I _DO_ know someone who can help..._

Leah turned a corner, driving towards the familiar dome-shaped structure of the world famous Capsule Corporation building.

---

"This is really amazing!" Dr. Briefs remarked as his daughter and the hired crew worked diligently at refitting Nappa's former space pod; in order to accommodate a small crew it was disassembled, and extra parts and materials were called upon to rebuild it into a bigger craft. "The universe is vast... I guess there are smarter geniuses than me."

"Don't be impressed... help me, Dad!" Bulma complained, as she worked at welding reinforced metal plating together to the floor.

"Bulma!" Celipa returned, carrying aloft on her shoulder what looked like several tons with of the same metal; she was clad in a modified version of her previous armor... tube top-like, with a vent-like design along the chest and sides, a magenta leotard undersuit, yellow leggings, white boots and gloves, and a belt hanging off on the sides to make up for the lack of a tail. And of course, the familiar halo floating over her head to mark her status as a deceased spirit made flesh.

"Awesome, more supplies!" Bulma smiled. "Just set it down in the corner, Celipa. I'll need you later to help me shape it."

"Right," Celipa lowered the tonnage to the floor, then turned to face Bulma. "So who's going to Namek? Has the final crew list been authorized?"

"Well..." Bulma stopped what she was doing, wiping the sweat from her brow. "I'm going, of course. Call it scientific curiosity... I'll be one of the first humans to not only go out into deep space, but to visit a new planet! It's pretty exciting, really!"

"And I'll be going too," Celipa nodded. "Anyone else?"

"Teena's going, obviously. So are Yamcha and Chi-Chi. Launch even offered to help, too... both her and Yamcha are in this solely so that they can be partly responsible for bringing back Puar and Tein..."

"Ah... lovers?"

"..." Bulma sighed softly, remembering the conversation she had overheard between Yamcha and Puar before the conflict with the Saiyans. "... yeah..."

"Well, having Teena, Yamcha, and Chi-Chi will certainly help, they're undoubtedly strong," observed Celipa. "I'm not sure about Launch though... being able to wield weapons and such is a useful skill for normal people but if we run into anyone as powerful as myself or Teena she may end up in serious trouble... wait, what about Videl? Isn't she coming too?"

"... Teena was against it..." Bulma answered. "She felt Videl could've died during the battle and if she did... well, it'd would've been even more devastating to Teena. So she's staying on Earth."

Celipa nodded softly with a sigh. "Videl _HAS_ come a long way in a short period of time, though I'd be willing to say she's around Vegeta's power level when he was a child."

"That's just it... she's _STILL_ a child. She's too young to be around what went down with Vegeta and Nappa... all that violence and death. Besides, if her father found out Teena let Videl go through all that I'm pretty sure we'd be facing the mother of all lawsuits... child endangerment and all..."

"... ah..." Celipa shrugged her shoulders. "You planet has a _LOT_ more laws than other worlds I know. Not that I'm complaining, mind you... any law for protecting children is pretty high on my standards."

Bulma smiled. "You know, Celipa? For a Saiyan, you're all right."

Celipa smiled back and nodded her head out of respect. "I try."

"Ms. Briefs?" One of the secretaries, a prim and proper looking cerulean-tressed woman, walked in. "There's a Detective Gold here to see you."

"Detective...?" Bulma placed the welder down and exited the cargo bay towards the waiting room. "Did he say why he was here?"

"'She', ma'am..." the secretary corrected. "And she didn't say why, either."

"Huh..." Bulma and the secretary entered the waiting room, and Leah turned her head to face the sea green-haired woman in question, blinked upon seeing Leah. "Hey, you look familiar..."

"Leah Gold... you and your corporation helped my girlfriend after she was attacked by a serial killer..." she held out her hand towards Bulma. "... the cyber limbs?"

"... Oh!" Recognizing the description of the events she smiled, shaking Leah's hand. "That's right... Amy Freeman was the first recipient of the cyber limb prototypes I designed! How's she doing with them, Ms. Gold?"

"Still adjusting a little bit, but we're both confident she'll be able to get back to holding a steady job. And it's all thanks to you and Capsule Corp."

"Pleased to hear that. So what exactly brings you here, Ms. Gold?"

Leah sighed softly, and her looked turned into an almost pleading gaze. "I need Eighteen's help in finding and capturing that serial killer I mentioned. He's gotta be stopped and I don't think I can do it without her help."

"Oh... well, Teena's over at Papaya Island dealing with Typhoon Beezlebub... you know, trying to stop it and minimize casualties. But she should be back soon."

"I'm back now, actually." Leah and Bulma turned to see a sopping wet Teena, drenched head to toe in tropical rain water. "... here's a tip... the next time you decide to Power Blitz the eye of a typhoon, don't. I stopped it and all, but still... here I am, wearing the drowned rat look."

Bulma giggled. "Looks good on you, Teena."

"Bleh... it's a good thing I'm immune to pneumonia..." she glanced over to Leah and smiled softly. "Hey, Leah... gimme a moment to dehydrate myself in the good way and we'll chat, okay?"

"Sure thing," Leah replied.

Teena nodded, and trudged upstairs to her room, leaving watery footprints on the floor as Bulma and Leah watched on.

"... So... she stopped a whole typhoon..." Leah remarked.

"Yeah, that's our Teena... the grand worker of miracles," praised Bulma.

"No kidding..." added Leah. "... she's something else..."

---

After Teena had dried off and changed her clothes, she and Leah were outside at the Capsule Corp's grounds, where the detective gave Teena the rundown.

"... after the attack on Amy Double K killed two more women," Leah continued. "He probably laid low like the rest of us while you and your friends were fighting those two aliens, then afterwards we found the remains of another girl around the outskirts of West City."

"... hell..." Teena sighed, slumping down in a bench nearby. "And all this was going on while I was away? Didn't Weapon try to help?"

"She did... but whoever it was in that fancy suit of armor really wasn't much help."

"Well, she _DID_ pull her weight when we were fighting the Saiyans at least... anyhow, we're Amtraked here."

"..." Leah blinked, confused by Teena's vernacular. "... huh?"

"We're getting off-track. You know, away from the subject. What do you know about this Double K?"

"Oh. Well... his real name's Kaji Keiyama," Leah began. "He was a combination assassin/cleaner for the Syndicate about a decade or so ago... meaning after his hits, he'd usual dispose of the remains by eating them. He'd primarily just kill female targets... said a girl's flesh was sweeter than a man's."

"..." Teena managed to keep her poker-faced facade intact as she suppressed a shiver. "... I loathe him already."

"His last assignment for the Syndicate was to hunt down and kill a rogue thug of theirs, Niisha Kushami... you know her better as Launch..." Leah proceeded. "He planned to kill her while she was in her more passive Order state, but as luck would have it, she sneezed, slipped into her Chaos state, and went all ape dookie on D-Double K. It was the only mission where he failed."

Teena smirked. "Good for her."

"... B-but afterwards he went rogue himself and went on a killing/eating spree. My father managed to stop him, but at the cost of his legs. And his career as an officer..." Leah sighed sadly... a sigh which seemed more like a tired yawn to Teena. "... Now he's out... somehow... and he's gotta be stopped...! I... I was taken off this case because it's become personal for me but I don't care dammit... Eighteen, I need you to help me take this monster down! I don't care if I lose my job over this, he's a danger! Eighteen, p-please!"

"Leah... I understand how you feel about this but it isn't enough to get fired over..." Teena said, noting Leah's increased stammering. "I'll help you beat and lock this guy away, but you should at least rest while I handle things. Seriously, have you seen yourself in the mirror lately? I don't need sleep but clearly you do."

"... No, I-I can't..." Leah said, turning away. "Everyt-time I even try to go to sleep... I see him. Or Amy i-in that horrible state... I only g-get two hours of sleep every n-night... t-two and a half if I'm lucky. I've been... r-running on coffee... energy d-drinks and energy b-bars trying to n-nail this g-guy..."

"..." Teena blinked, and placed her hands on Leah's shoulders, staring straight at the detective bloodshot eyes. "Girl, I can't even _BEGIN_ to tell you how unhealthy all that is! You're running yourself ragged! You're gonna end up killing yourself if you don't slow down! Now I'm telling you... GET SOME SLEEP! I'll take things from here, now tell me where would be the best place to look for Double K."

"... the sewers... p-probably..." Leah replied. "C'mon then, let's g-go..." She prepared to turn around, but Teena held her in place, hands still on her shoulders. "... h-hey... let go..."

"Trust me, Leah. This is for your own good."

And Teena slugged Leah in the solarplexus, pulling her punch significantly so as to not accidentally kill her. Leah gasped out as all the air rushed from her lungs, and as she passed out, Teena caught her limp form, picking her up in her arms.

"I promise you I'll catch this bastard..." Teena said. "Then you can finally get some deserved rest."

Carrying the unconscious Leah back into Capsule Corp and into one of the guest rooms, she lowered her onto the bed, staring down at her for a good long moment. Then after notifying a secretary about Leah, she proceeded to rocket off into the sky, her goal set and focused.

_No more murders, Double K... it's suitcase land for you!_

---

"Nice of you to take a break from working on the ship to help me out, Bulma..." Teena said through her headset as she moved through the dark maze-like sewer, a halogen flashlight nestled snugly in the left breast pocket of her denim jacket to light her way.

_"Well, it was all a matter of convincing Daddy to sub for me, is all..."_ Bulma explained. _"With his help, odds are we've cut the refit time down by at least a week or two!"_

"Yeah... the old man's eccentric as hell but when he's motivated he can Scotty his way through with the best of 'em."

_"Where do you think _I_ get it, 'lassie?'"_ Bulma giggled softly.

"... I'll let you know if I find Timmy in a well somewhere," Teena quipped, then paused as she saw a foreign object float by. "... ugh. That is _NOT_ a piece of almond roca that just went by me..."

"It IS_ a sewer, you know. It's supposed to be disgusting down there."_

"Sure, you're calm about it because you're in the control room. You'd be grossed out and complaining your ass off if you were down here with me."

_Just goes to show who's the _SMART ONE_ is, then."_

"..." Teena sighed, shaking her head as she heard Bulma's triumphant giggles. "I've been zinged by Bulma Briefs. There is no God."

_"Deal with it, girlfriend. I've just hung around you long enough for that wit of yours to rub off of me. That's all."_

"So I have no one to blame but myself... nice." Teena made her way to a door leading to a storage room, entering it and finding the walls to be stained with human blood. "... looks like Double K was here..."

Bulma quickly checked her online sewer map, then Teena's position. _"Okay, stay there. I'm sending some camera pods down to see if I can't track him down for you."_

"It's all you, Bulma..." Teena replied. "Work your voodoo."

Bulma smiled to herself, cracking her knuckles and going to work, activating six of the anti-gravity pods with high security surveillance cameras attached and sending them down into West City's sewer system. With practiced ease she manipulated them with her keyboard, programming them to follow the map of the sewer she downloaded into their on-board memory banks. Within a matter of moments they had flown through the open door of the storage room Teena waited in, rotating around her as if they were satellites orbiting their planet.

"Okay. Ready, Bulma?"

_"Open it up and let 'em rip!"_

Teena swung the door before her open, and the camera pods rushed through like a shot, picking up a small gust of wind that made Teena's hair billow slightly. "Let me know when you've spotted anything, Bulma."

_"All right, will do--"_ Teena suddenly heard a startled gasp from her headset, indicating that Bulma had indeed found something. _"... good lord..."_

"What is it?" Teena had to ask, though deep down she most likely knew the answer.

_"... it... it's horrible in there..."_ Bulma muttered. _"He-he's in the next room over... get him... k-kick his ass..."_

Teena ventured an easy guess as to what Bulma meant by "horrible," and took a step up to float inches above the ground, preventing the sound of her feet touching the floor or splashing in the sewer water. And the moment she passed through the door the repugnant stench of rotting flesh overpowered her nose; she made a note to herself about how lucky she was that she, a) had a significantly stronger constitution that would keep her vomiting from the smell alone, and b) she never really ate anything to begin with today.

Though upon seeing the horrific remains before her, hanging by nooses, floating in the water and in various states of dismemberment, she would opt not to eat any meat for a good long while after this day.

"... looks like double k's added a couple more victims..." Teena whispered.

_"... just stop him... please..."_ was Bulma's sole response.

"... i will..." Teena slowly floated towards the next room where Double K was, and as she looked to the innocent young women graphically mutilated around her, she entertained the thought of just killing Double K on the spot. It'd be just like finishing off Vegeta... and the world would be better off without a monster like Double K roaming the streets, preying on innocent women, ending promising young lives.

_All right, it's decided..._ Teena finalized. _Double K's leaving this sewer in an urn._

Teena entered the adjoining room, fists crackling with energy, ready to flash fry Double K where he stood. But he was nowhere to be found. All there was were the camera pods floating about in the room.

"... well, hell..." Teena looked around, the flashlight in her breast pocket scanning the area. "Bulma, where is he? You said he was here."

_"He _WAS!_ Unless... Teena, the water--!!"_

Both Bulma and Teena were a split second too late as an emerald-scaled clawed hand burst from the normally calm sewer water, yanking her down within. Another split second, and Double K emerged, chuckling to himself as he walked over to a corner, picking up a red cylindrical device.

"... I hope making me smell like cheap compost was worth it, Double K..." Teena hissed as she slowly ascended from the water, filthy and soaking wet. "'Cause right now, you've just stepped in some deep shiAAAAIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!"

Teena collapsed back into the water after Double K had used the cattle prod, the wetness of her skin amplifying the current's voltage as Double K rammed it into her chest.

"... so, it _WAS_ true after all..." Double K muttered as he dropped the cattle prod, picking up a hair dryer of all things, plugged into a dry outlet on the wall and switching it on. "The old man told me it would work..."

"... o... o-old man..." Teena began to recover, still weak from the disruption in her power core, reaching for the edge of the sewer floor, trying to pick herself up out of the water.

"Yes... he says he knows you. He told me to tell you. Dr. Gero sends his regards."

And Double K tossed the hair dryer towards the sewer water Teena was still immersed in. Unable to catch it or knock it away, she could only stare helplessly as it seemed to descend in slow motion into the water. She managed a single word...

"... crap..."

... and she was promptly electrocuted, shrieking in excruciating agony as countless volts shot through her body, the halogen flashlight in her jacket flickering, then exploding, her headset causing excessive feedback for Bulma as she cried out, ripping hers from her ear, then stared aghast at the camera pods' graphic imagry on-screen.

"Teena--!!" Bulma trembled, seeing her best friend being electrifed. And she quickly acted, rushing from the control room to get help.

But after a moment, Teena's screams died down into moans, then silenced altogether. And she floated in the electrified pool of sewer water, face down, still twitching as her eyes remained wide, but sightless.

"Look at you..." Double K said as he crossed his arms, smiling darkly. "Why, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were dead."

---

Leah awoke.

With a soft moan she slowly sat up from the bed, rubbing her stomach in residual pain; even though Teena pulled her punch it still hurt. And while she got some rest from the knockout nerve strike, it wasn't enough; she _STILL_ felt like crap.

Getting up out of bed, Leah exited the guest room and stumbled along the hallway. About halfway through Leah could hear indistinct chattering nearby, and out of curiosity she followed the source of those voices.

"... in danger!! We gotta do something!!" Bulma's voice had the all-too familiar tone of panic to it, and a sense of dread entered Leah's soul.

"... no way... that overgrown lizard actually beat Teena?!" A young male voice spoke. "That's not good!"

"Where's Celipa?!"

"She went off to get some components for some kind of... well, she called it a gravity well. For the ship..."

"Screw her then!" A tougher sounding female voice announced its presence. "I say we go down there, guns blazin', and save Teena!! Besides, Double K'n I've got some unfinished business!"

"... forget it..." Leah staggered into the cargo bay, alerting Bulma, Yamcha, and Launch (the blonde Chaos aspect). She looked towards Launch as the two women locked gazes, as if they knew each other.

"... you know as well as I do... Double K's c-crafty..." Leah said. "That's why Eight-teen's in trouble... she let her g-guard down and b-besides... it's my collar... no one's g-going after Double K... N-not without me..."

"Pheh... yeah, right..." Launch approached Leah, smirking. "Looks to me like the long arm of the law's got a case of the jitters! Not enough sleep, Cagney? Lacey's keepin' you up?"

"... kiss my ass, K-Kushami..."

"I don't swing your way, Gold."

"Surprising... c-considering no man'd wanna screw a psycho l-like you."

And Launch slugged Leah in the jaw. Bulma gasped as Leah crumpled to the floor, her lip busted open as she went to the detective's side, Yamcha restraining Launch before she could do any more damage.

"You bitch!!" Launch screamed, tears welling up in her eyes, which was a rare occurrence for the Chaos aspect. "Tein meant _EVERYTHING_ to us!! And you had to go say something like that!! She's crying...!" Launch relaxed in Yamcha's hold, then shoved him away. "You made her cry... you bitch... I can hear her..."

"... T-Tein..." Leah slowly sat up with Bulma's aid, wiping a bit of her blood from her lip.

"Uhm... she was seeing him. Both of her..." Bulma explained. "... we... uh, lost him during the conflict with the Saiyans..."

"... oh..." Leah felt especially low now; while she never much cared for the violent Chaos side of Launch, the Order side was still a decent woman. Still, she read in a psych report that while the two sides were aware of one another, they didn't know of the other's actions without someone telling her, and Leah wondered to herself how the Order aspect heard her if the Chaos aspect was in control. "... I'm s-sorry..." she said to Launch.

"Stuff it," she retorted. "I don't need your damn apologies."

"I wasn't t-talking to _YOU._ I was talking to _HER._"

"... bitch."

"We don't have time for this..." Bulma stood up, facing Yamcha. "Give Detective Gold a Senzu."

"W-what?" Yamcha blinked. "But, the outside world isn't supposed to--"

"This is an emergency!" snapped Bulma. "While we're just standing here bickering, Double K could actually be killing Teena!! Do it!!"

Yamcha blinked twice, then sighed, fishing out one of his Senzu beans he had from the battle with Nappa and Vegeta, walking over and handing it to Leah. "Eat this, Ms. Gold. Trust me, it'll be worth it."

"... what is it, some kind of e-espresso bean...?" Leah stared at it for a moment as it lay in the palm of her shaking hand, then popped it into her mouth, chewing it and swallowing it. Almost instantly any fatigue she had was gone, even the busted lip Launch gave her disappeared. "... whoa..." she exclaimed, blinking.

"Just don't tell anyone about this, okay?" Bulma asked. "Okay, grab some headsets, guys! I'll guide you through the sewer!"

"The sewer?!" Yamcha questioned in disgust.

"Time to get down and dirty..." Launch grinned as she pulled out a Dynocap, exploding it in her hand to reveal an AK-47.

"Okay... as an officer of the law you're all hereby deputized citizens... even you, Kushami..." Leah quickly rose to her feet, pulling her 9mm Beretta from its holster and checking the clip inside before putting it away. "Let's move."

---

The first thing Teena noted once her power core rebooted and she woke up was that she was soaking wet, not from sewer water but fresh and clean spring water, her clothes all but adhered to her skin from the moisture. She was still in the sewer however, and she was chained up against the wall, arms raised up and over her head, an electric collar of some kind around her neck. And her boots were missing, her feet bare; her toes were just barely touching the floor. Her first instincts were to break the chains binding her to the wall, then break Double K in much the same fashion, until she felt a severe shock of electricity shoot through her, causing her to yelp out of pain, disrupting her energy flow and keeping her weak.

"Just so you know, it's useless to escape..." she heard Double K's voice as the vile croc morph emerged from the shadows in dramatic fashion. "You're wearing a shock collar... any show of hostility will trigger it, and considering how damp your skin and clothes are... and how you're not wearing any rubber on your soles to help ground you... well, that makes you as helpless as a newborn."

"... what does Gero have to do with you..." Teena asked weakly.

"Ah, straight to the point..." Double K nodded. "You see, it was one of Gero's cyborgs who freed me... you may know him, a human black man, covered in tattoos..."

"... I know him..." Teena replied softly.

"... Anyhow, he told me Gero would pay me in 10 million zenie to test you, to see how you would fare against a more normal foe, someone who isn't a King Piccolo or a Saiyan. Suffice it to say, you flunked."

"Yeah well, how about freeing me so I can go for extra cred--" Teena gasped as another shock kept her in line, and she slumped in her chains, moaning in pain.

"Oh, I don't think that will do..." Double K reached over, caressing Teena's cheek tenderly. "Normally I'd eat you in a situation like this..."

Teena froze, eyes widening. _No... God no not that...!_

Double K paused, seeing Teena's petrified reaction. Then chuckled mockingly. "I found another weakness... this one is more psychological than physical, it seems. Oh, no worries... I'm not going to eat you... for one, your biomechanical parts may not... agree with me. I'd probably just rip you apart to root out the tastier parts of you in that case but then I'd violate my agreement with Gero. It seems he wants you alive."

"... I'm not going back to the Red Ribbon Army..." Teena denied.

"Hell, you can drop that 'Army' bit..." a new voice sounded, a more urban tone to it as a black man dressed in grey camouflage cargo pants, zipped-up athletic shoes, motorcycle riding gloves, black sunglasses, and an unzipped white hoodie with the Red Ribbon Double-R insignia on the front walked in, a tattoo marked "15" visible on his stomach as he carried a steel briefcase in his hands. "It's just 'Red Ribbon' now."

"... Fifteen..." Teena recognized. "Came to gloat?"

"A lil' bit... plus I'm also here to pay Dub-K the flow we promised..." Fifteen turned to Double K, handing him the briefcase. "10 million zenie, as we agreed. Count it, if y'want."

Double K nodded, taking the suitcase. "I'd rather take your word for it, seeing as how I'm on the run. But it will be a good start, considering I'll be going into business for myself."

Fifteen smirked, then looked to Teena. "Damn, girl! You wear the wet look well! Lemme guess... You don' wear a bra?"

"... why alive..." Teena asked, ignoring Fifteen's lecherous comment. "You could kill me right now if you wanted."

"Yeah, and I want to. But the G-Man says he wants t'bring ya back for something big. He's tight-lipped 'bout it, though. Seems only him and Nineteen know what it is."

"Hate being kept in the dark, hm? Seems Gero doesn't trust you well enough."

"... yo, why don' you just SHUT IT!!" Fifteen struck Teena hard in the gut, causing her to cough up blood as she doubled over in her chains. "We're done here, dawg..." Fifteen said to Double K. "You get outta here. Me and the 18th'll bounce, too."

"W-wait..." Teena gasped. "D-Double K... why... why d-do you..."

"Why do I what? Be like what I am?" Double K smirked. "Maybe it's a kind of sickness. Not on my part, but among the rest of my kind, all domesticated morphs around the world. There's so few of us who think like I do, who are truly cured. I just want to raise awareness to my kin. That they should _ALL_ like humans. Long pig style."

"You... didn't let me finish..." Teena replied. "I was going to say... why do you have to be such an idiot." With that, Teena promptly broke free of the chains binding her, then delivering a swift kick to Double K's chest, knocking him back against the wall, hitting hard and breaking ribs, causing him to spit up blood.

"H-HOW--?!" Double K gasped.

"You said the shock collar works only if I act hostile. Emotion powered..." Teena took the collar and ripped it from her neck. "One trait about me is that I don't need to act hostile to kick anyone's ass, least of all yours." She then looked over to Fifteen. "Are we gonna do this here?"

"Yeah, why not?" Fifteen clenched his fists, grinning at Teena as he stood ready. "I'm gonna bust your ass, downtown South City style!"

"FREEZE!!" Leah aimed her gun at Fifteen, as Yamcha and Launch stood ready. "Hands in the air!! Now! Where I can see them!!"

"... whatever y'say, officer..." Fifteen did as Leah commanded, and that was when Leah recognized him, making her pause.

"... Tyrell Cord...?!"

Fifteen cocked his head, then smiled. "Heeey, Detective Leah Gold...! Wassup?"

"Kidnapping... and an accomplice to a mass murderer? That's low even for you, Tyrell."

"Sorry, Leah... ain't Tyrell Cord no more. I'm the 15th. As in, '15th Sign of the God Damned Apocalypse.'" Fifteen's smile turned dark as energy began to build up in his palms. "Yo, check this out."

"GET DOWN!!" Teena screamed.

"PHOTON BLITZ!!!" Fifteen threw a huge blast of energy threatening to envelop Leah, Launch, and Yamcha, but the former bandit quickly pushed the two women to safety--

"KAMEHAMEHAA!!!"

--firing off his own projectile to deflect Fifteen's Photon Blitz away through to the outside of the city streets. Teena was swift to tackle Fifteen before Yamcha could follow up, taking him all the way back up to the streets.

"... that was one of Gero's..." Yamcha realized. "... the 15th...!"

"... I'll sort out what just happened later..." Leah looked over to the injured Double K, who was holding his chest, staring at the AK Launch levelled at him. "... at least some good came out of this..."

"... just... read me my rights and g-get it over with..." Double K spat.

---

Civilians were quick to take cover as Teena and Fifteen traded blows, punch for punch, kick for kick, so blindingly fast even a time-lapse camera would have trouble tracking the action. Finally Fifteen got the upper hand, spin kicking Teena so hard she twisted in the air corkscrew-style until Fifteen backhanded her away, her body tearing through a car.

"That all you got?!" Fifteen trash talked. "You ain't got nothin', bitch!! This is _MY_ house!! This--"

He was promptly shut up as Teena swung the destroyed car like a bat, knocking Fifteen away across the street, quickly met by another swift punch straight downward, causing a nice-sized pothole as his head impacted with the asphalt.

"We're outside. We're not _IN_ a house," Teena coldly corrected.

"Didn't get the memo, didja? Whole _WORLD'S_ my house!!" Fifteen tripped Teena up with a sweep, and as she fell delivered a thrust kick that sent Teena flying through a fire hydrant, and water spewed upward creating makeshift rain as it poured all around and onto Teena.

"... typhoon water, sewer water, now hydrant water..." Teena muttered as she began to get up. "... what am I now, a water magnet all of a sudden?" Teena suddenly exploded from the ground, flying towards Fifteen and catching him in the jaw with a hard straight punch.

Fifteen didn't even budge.

"... oh crap--" Teena whispered just before Fifteen seized her by the neck.

"_NOW_ you get it..." Fifteen taunted. "I'm just like you and you bro... bionanos in my blood keep me up on top of my game... besides, I'm simply more juiced up than you are. So bow down to the champ, chump!!" Fifteen leapt up and swung Teena around by the head, slamming her viciously hard through the street. And Teena felt her reinforced spine and ribs crack under the brutal attack from the 15th, blood spurting from her mouth. Fifteen stood up with a smirk, and drew back his fist. "Punch out time, bitch!!"

Abruptly a powerful chi blast knocked Fifteen back a step or two, but he shrugged it off, preparing to retaliate with his Photon Blitz. Only to hesitate seeing a familiar twelve year old raven-tressed girl, palms outstretched and crackling with residual energy.

"Leave her alone," Videl hissed.

"..." Fifteen stared at Videl, a Photon Blitz ready to all but vaporize the girl where she stood. Instead he called it off, shaking his head. "Screw that... you got lucky, 18th... but it ain't gonna last. 'Cause I'll always be the Grand Champ, and you'll always be my _BITCH._ Now you mad at that?!" Fifteen turned around, rocketing away as Teena picked herself up slowly as her bones knitted back together, glaring spitefully at the retreating cybernetic street thug.

"... irate..." Teena replied angrily.

---

Ten hours later.

"Well, all's well and whatnot..." Leah said, as she and Teena exited Capsule Corp. "I _DID_ get yelled at by Lupisen, who wanted me to take a break from the case... but he couldn't knock the results. So I got two weeks paid suspension..." she shrugged. "His way of rewarding me under the circumstances, I guess. Probably use half of one of the weeks to sleep. Maybe take Amy and go to South City for a vacation after."

"Sounds good..." Teena nodded. "I know this great beachside resort near South City you should go to. Great food, better parties at times... oh, and you can sunbathe nude, too."

"So you've been there before, I take it."

"You kidding? Paparazzi's taken more photos of me there than anyone else..." Both women laughed softly. "... so what'll happen to Double K?"

"Right now, he's in West City Pen, maximum security solitary confinement," answered Leah. "He's already sentenced to death... odds are all that he's done the past few months'll speed it up some."

"How's he going to die?"

"Lethal injection."

Teena sighed as she shook her head. "If you ask me... after everything I've seen him do today? That's too good for him."

"I know..." Leah approached her motorcycle, mounting it as she slipped her helmet on, looking to Teena. "But at least he's going to die for it all. I can take some solace knowing that he's going straight to Hell."

"... small comfort for his victims. And their families."

Leah nodded solemnly. Then revved up her motorcycle and rode off into the city as the sun began to set. And Teena watched for a good long moment before turning back around, heading back inside the Capsule Corporation building with much to mull over.

Fifteen defeated her. And was about to take her to Gero for God knows what, but Videl showed up to rescue her. While grateful, her mind wasn't changed; Fifteen never was a child killer, as he wouldn't want the distinction. But if it were someone like Eleven. Or worse, Nineteen...

Videl was better off staying on Earth, away from danger. That was the rationalization Teena stuck with.

Despite the loss to Fifteen, Teena still felt, for the most part, victorious. But still with a heavy heart.

And Teena whispered a prayer for the lost.

--TO BE CONTINUED.


End file.
